February 2026 Newsletter
McCain Institute Outraged at Four Years of Russia’s War in Ukraine, Urges Just Peace That Protects Ukrainian People and Sovereignty
McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas issued a statement recognizing the four-year mark of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, urging peace that protects the Ukrainian people and sovereignty.
February Highlights
Europe and Eurasia McCain Global Leaders Visit Estonia and Finland for Discussions on Defense Policy and Combating Authoritarian Threats to Europe
The McCain Institute's Europe and Eurasia McCain Global Leaders visited Tallinn, Estonia, and Helsinki, Finland, to refine their understanding of the region’s democratic resilience and learn how to respond to hybrid threats in their home countries. Read more.
McCain Institute Now Accepting Applications for 2026 McCain Global Leaders Program
McCain Global Leaders 2026 applications are now open. Entering its fifth year, the MGL program supports character-driven leaders from around the globe who embody Senator John McCain’s legacy of serving a cause greater than oneself. Read more.
McCain Institute Announces 2026 National Security & Counterterrorism Fellowship Cohort
The McCain Institute announced its sixth cohort of National Security & Counterterrorism Fellows—eight women and eight men—fully representing all Five Eyes Alliance partners: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Read more.
McCain Institute Celebrates Release of Political Prisoner Jesús Armas
The McCain Institute celebrates the release of McCain Global Leader and Venezuelan opposition leader Jesús Armas, who had been unjustly held as a political prisoner under the regime of Nicolás Maduro since December 10, 2024. Read more.
Our Secure Future and McCain Institute Co-host “What World Are We Building? A Women, Peace and Security and Technology Futures Symposium”
The McCain Institute and Our Secure Future co-hosted a symposium exploring the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in technology policy. Panelists examined the bridge between technology and democracy while discussing advancements of WPS and the current political landscape around technology, peace, and security policy. Read more.
ICYMI: McCain Institute’s Pedro Pizano and Sarah Moriarty Op-Ed in The Washington Post: “The U.S. finally has a tool to deter hostage-taking”
In an op-ed published by The Washington Post, John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative (FPPI) Director Pedro Pizano and FPPI Honorary Board Member Sarah Moriarty detail the United States’ new authority to punish regimes that wrongly detain Americans. Read more.
Think No More: Advancing Policy Translation at the Intersection of AI, National Security, and Democratic Governance
The American Democracy Program at the McCain Institute hosted an AI workshop that brought together policymakers, defense leaders, and expert voices to examine research on the forces shaping AI and discuss ways to bridge the gap between technology and policy Read more.
Blog: Faith, Power, and the Crisis of Moral Leadership in Armenia
McCain Global Leader Gor Badalyan from Armenia outlines how character-driven leadership can make a difference for the future of Armenia. Read more.
Blog: Talk to Your Neighbor
McCain Global Leader Lt. James Eggers reflects on how a week of meaningful dialogue during the Arizona Changemaker tour reshaped his understanding of leadership, community, and the power of simply talking to your neighbor. Read more.
Blog: Sixteen Were Freed. More Than 1,600 Remain — and They Will Shape Russia’s Future
The more than 1,600 political prisoners Russia fears tell us more about Russia than its rulers do, write McCain Institute's Pedro Pizano and Free Russia Foundation's Natalia Arno in a new blog. Read more.
Sedona Forum – Tokyo Agenda and Speakers Announced
The McCain Institute and the International House of Japan (I-House) released the agenda and speaker lineup for the Sedona Forum – Tokyo Read more.
February Media
McCain Institute Executive Director Dr. Evelyn Farkas joined The Cipher Brief during the Munich Security Conference to give a readout on the state of global affairs.
McCain Institute Executive Director Evelyn Farkas joined Bloomberg TV to discuss the latest from Iran, China, and Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine.
Evelyn Farkas spoke with NewsNation about negotiations between the U.S. and Iran as nuclear talks continue in Geneva.
McCain Institute Executive Director Evelyn Farkas joined BBC World News America to discuss strikes in Ukraine ahead of Abu Dhabi peace talks.
Events:
Register for the
Sedona Forum Livestream
Bringing Americans Home
On Wednesday, July 24, the McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) co-sponsored the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation’s release of its sixth annual edition of “Bringing Americans Home,” an independent research report that provides new information about the ongoing crisis of Americans taken hostage abroad by terrorists or wrongfully detained by nation-states.
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