Go Nakamura/Reuters (left) and Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters (right)

U.S.

Presidential nominees Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have starkly different worldviews on major foreign policy issues such as the war in Ukraine, climate change, and migration policy.

Election 2024

U.S.

Each Friday, I look at what the presidential contenders are saying about foreign policy. This Week: Whoever wins in November could find their policy plans stymied by a mounting national debt.
Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific

The U.S. territory’s proximity to Asia makes it a critical military outpost and a potential hub in the event of regional conflict.

Taiwan

Although China’s ambition to gain control of Taiwan is clear, doing so through force would prove enormously difficult and costly.

Australia

Australia’s first comprehensive national defense strategy comes as Chinese coercion around Taiwan and in the South China Sea sparks heightened concerns about Beijing’s intentions and ambitions in the region. 
U.S.

U.S.

National security policymakers are understandably worried about economic risks, but they shouldn’t lose sight of other national interests.

U.S.

U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to block the Japanese takeover of U.S. Steel, raising questions about the administration’s economic and foreign policy priorities.  

U.S.

John C. Williams of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York discusses monetary policy and the economic outlook for the year ahead.For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.The C. Peter McColough Series on International Economics brings the world’s foremost economic policymakers and scholars to address members on current topics in international economics and U.S. monetary policy. This meeting series is presented by RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.
South China Sea

Philippines

Manila has fully allied with Washington amid increasingly dangerous standoffs with Beijing in the South China Sea, heightening the prospect of a wider war.

China Strategy Initiative

Rush Doshi, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and director of the China Strategy Initiative, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how America should navigate its geopolitical rivalry with China.

China

After the rise of Chinese power during the 2010s and failed U.S. policies in the Indo-Pacific, the United States should renew the Pivot to Asia and place the region at the center of its grand strategy.*
Ukraine

Ukraine

Thomas Graham argues that cooperation between European member states, as well as U.S. commitment to its allies in the region, can create a freer, more secure, and more prosperous Europe. 

Russia

Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia.

 

CFR presents a wealth of resources to help understand what’s at stake for foreign policy in the U.S. presidential race.

Events

U.S.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield discusses the future of multilateralism and U.S. commitments to reforming the United Nations Security Council to be more inclusive, representative, and legitimate. For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.  

U.S.

Please click here to view the full agenda with all speakers. The Supply Chain Summitcohosted by the Council on Foreign Relations and the U.S. Department of Commerce, explores efforts taken by government and industry to shift from reacting to global supply chain disruptions to proactively strengthening supply chain resilience. The event gathers leaders from industry, government, academia, and civil society to collaborate and share best practices for preventing and addressing supply chain vulnerabilities, including launching a new supply chain risk assessment tool. **For in-person attendance, please note that space for this summit is limited and will be granted on a first come first served basis.** For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website. This summit is presented by RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.  

U.S.

John C. Williams of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York discusses monetary policy and the economic outlook for the year ahead.For those attending virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this meeting will be posted on the CFR website.The C. Peter McColough Series on International Economics brings the world’s foremost economic policymakers and scholars to address members on current topics in international economics and U.S. monetary policy. This meeting series is presented by RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.

U.S.

CFR President Mike Froman discusses his career, priorities for the Council, and the current events affecting U.S. foreign policy, including the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The CFR Young Professionals Briefing Series provides an opportunity for those early in their careers to engage with CFR. The briefings feature remarks by experts on critical global issues and lessons learned in their careers. These events are intended for individuals who have completed their undergraduate studies and have not yet reached the age of thirty to be eligible for CFR term membership.  

Explainers

Expert Spotlight

David P. Fidler

Senior Fellow for Global Health and Cybersecurity

International Law Cybersecurity Health

President Biden's Foreign Policy Legacy on Global Health

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan
Daniel Kurtz-Phelan

Editor, Foreign Affairs; Peter G. Peterson Chair

China U.S. Foreign Policy

Trump and Republican Foreign Policy

Featured Publications

U.S.

Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician—America’s fortieth president comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography.

Asia

Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine evaluate the limitations of the Pivot to Asia and offer a compelling vision for the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific.

Middle East and North Africa

A clear-headed vision for the United States' role in the Middle East that highlights the changing nature of U.S. national interests and the challenges of grand strategizing at a time of profound change in the international order.