Deep Dive How America Went From Paying Down Its Debt to $40 Trillion This article is part of ONEST’s Financial & Geopolitical Literacy Series, made possible by generous donors who support independent ONEST journalism and allow us to keep this reporting public. By Olga Nesterova • 13 min read
Portuguese F-16 near a Russian Su-35 fighter and An-12 transport aircraft over the Baltic Sea, May 6, 2026. Source: NATO Allied Air Command. Daily Brief ONEST Brief | August 21, 2026 Russia is testing NATO’s edges, Ukraine is dealing with both a devastating Russian attack and growing political turbulence at home, Washington is preparing a new economic front against Iran, and China is quietly expanding its room to maneuver from Seoul to artificial intelligence. Here’s what matters today. SLOVENIA’ By Olga Nesterova • 11 min read
Explained China’s Quiet Role in the Middle East War Türkiye is moving into Syria’s oil and gas sector. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on August 19 that Ankara is ready to cooperate with Damascus on oil and gas exploration, adding another layer to Türkiye’s rapidly expanding role in post-Assad Syria. At first glance, this is By Olga Nesterova • 11 min read
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joaquin Dela Torre Daily Brief ONEST Brief: U.S. cuts Korea drills and escalates its fight with the ICC PEOPLE BEHIND THE MOMENT Before the news: something new from ONEST. I’m launching People Behind the Moment — a new series built around a simple idea: behind every institution, business, crisis, headline and ordinary day are people doing work we rarely stop to notice. We spend so much time talking By Olga Nesterova • 9 min read
Explained As Washington Pulls Back in Asia, Who Fills the Space? The last U.S. aircraft carrier in the western Pacific is heading to the Middle East. Trump is cutting exercises with South Korea while praising Kim Jong Un. North Korea is still testing missiles. Russia is challenging Japan. And China has little reason to object. By Olga Nesterova • 7 min read
Deep Dive What Does a Billionaire Owe the State? From California and Britain to Monaco and China, governments have radically different answers. Tesla shows why taxation is only part of the story. By Olga Nesterova • 13 min read
Explained America Is Redefining What It Means to Be an Ally Washington is testing NATO countries for political alignment, putting an outspoken critic of Western Europe atop State Department intelligence, and taxing foreign drones just weeks after promising to buy Ukraine’s. Europe is beginning to respond — but mostly by preparing for a future in which American support can no longer By Olga Nesterova • 8 min read
Daily Brief ONEST Brief: Foreign Troops in Lebanon, Türkiye-Saudi-Pakistan Military Pact, Ukraine’s Drones Beat U.S. Forces in Training The security architecture of the Middle East is shifting quickly. Israel and Lebanon are discussing foreign personnel to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament — but cannot yet agree on who would command them. Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are moving their new mutual-defense pact from political declaration toward actual military coordination. By Olga Nesterova • 7 min read
BRI countries by region Deep Dive Follow China’s Money. A New Global Order Is Taking Shape. From ports and mines to railways, power grids, factories and critical minerals, mapping where China is investing, building and financing in 2026 — and what Beijing’s expanding footprint reveals about the global balance of power. By Olga Nesterova • 15 min read
Explained North Korea Is No Longer Just Arming Russia. It Is Becoming Part of Russia’s War Machine. Watch this analysis on YouTube For much of the war in Ukraine, North Korea’s role could be described relatively simply: Pyongyang supplied weapons that Moscow needed. That description is becoming obsolete. North Korean artillery shells are feeding Russian guns. North Korean ballistic missiles are striking Ukraine. North Korean soldiers By Olga Nesterova • 8 min read
Explained Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan Just Created a New Defense Bloc. What Does It Actually Mean? Saudi wealth, Pakistani nuclear weapons and NATO’s second-largest military are now connected by a mutual-defense pact — raising difficult questions for Israel, Iran, NATO and the United States. By Olga Nesterova • 10 min read
Explained Is the “Graham Russia Sanctions Bill” Actually Sanctioning Russia? The Graham bill is being sold as a major new sanctions package against Moscow. It does sanction Russia. But some of its most powerful provisions target countries buying Russian energy — potentially with tariffs of up to 100% on their exports to the United States. By Olga Nesterova • 8 min read
