German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces dwindling support because of "dithering" on the euro crisis and Germans' opposition to having troops in Afghanistan, says Germany expert William Drozdiak.

The latest round of UN and U.S. sanctions on Iran are unlikely to push Iran to negotiations, says sanctions expert Meghan O'Sullivan, which means the U.S. and its allies will need to look at options including military force, among others.

Stewart M. Patrick says Brazil's recent involvement in tensions between Iran and the United States underscored Brazil's determination to play on the global stage, but it may also have harmed Brazil's chances for a UN Security Council seat.

In this briefing note, Katinka Barsych examines the shifting relationship between Germany and the EU in the wake of the euro crisis and the ensuing financial aid package.

Stewart M. Patrick says the G20 must transform itself from a temporary crisis committee into an enduring global steering group.

Mira Kamdar, a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute and an award-winning author, analyzes the rocky relationship between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Walter Russell Mead says that Turkey and Brazil's rejection of UN sanctions against Iran revealed that neither country had mastered the challenges of operating in the international system.

Unlike "too big to fail" financial firms, hedge funds spot market bubbles and assume their own losses, says CFR's Sebastian Mallaby.

This Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review article by Sevil Küçükkoşum examines talk of increasing economic integration between Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan that has prompted visions of a new “Middle East Union” to rival the EU.

Ray Takeyh and Suzanne Maloney say only an approach involving direct dialogue and strategic patience can produce lasting success in dealing with Iran.

The Security Council's approval of tougher sanctions on Iran marks a diplomatic victory for the Obama administration. But Iran retains momentum, too, and the ability to continue its uranium enrichment program, writes CFR's James Lindsay.

Scott A. Snyder says that unless evidence of leadership instability in North Korea is concrete, diplomacy with the North must continue.

Elliott Abrams says that amidst the international frenzy over the Gaza flotilla disaster, the Obama administration has abandoned Israel at the United Nations.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg says U.S. diplomacy, through institutions and bilaterally, has led to new momentum in pressuring Iran to end its uranium enrichment program.

Richard N. Haass says, "Even before it began, Europe's moment as a major world power in the twenty-first century looks to be over."

Debt restructuring and longer-term eurozone reforms will be needed to contain Europe's sovereign debt problems and restore European stability and prosperity, says CFR's Marc Levinson.

The nearly $1 trillion EU bailout plan appears to have achieved immediate aims of restoring confidence in markets, but concerns persist about deeper reforms needed to tackle the region's sovereign debt crisis.

The IMF and European leaders have gotten serious about Greece's debt, says CFR's Charles Kupchan. But the crisis also raises concerns about the eurozone's unity.

Rating agency S&P's decision to downgrade Greek debt to "junk" may lead to softened pre-conditions for an IMF-EU bailout and a swifter European response, says CFR's Marc Levinson.