Survival, the IISS’s bimonthly journal, challenges conventional wisdom and brings fresh, often controversial, perspectives on strategic issues of the moment. In this issue: Robert Dalsjö, Michael Jonsson and Johan Norberg reconsider Russia’s military capability given its recent battlefield performance in Ukraine William Alberque and Benjamin Schreer argue that Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership would, if managed judiciously, bolster deterrence and European security Chuck Freilich contends that encouraging diplomacy is the best of Israel’s limited options for postponing Iran’s nuclear-weapons programme Nicolas Lippolis and Harry Verhoeven assess that if a wave of African defaults materialises in the near future, it will be catalysed more by private-sector manoeuvring and intransigence than by Chinese scheming Dana H. Allin and Erik Jones argue that Russia’s isolation is not a viable endgame for the West, but it may be unavoidable for a generation And seven more thought-provoking pieces, as well as our regular Book Reviews and Noteworthy column. Editor: Dr Dana Allin Managing Editor: Jonathan Stevenson Associate Editor: Carolyn West Assistant Editor: Jessica Watson Editorial Assistant: Charlie Zawadzki