Ongoing Middle East conflicts, economic storm clouds, and perennial tensions in Asia augur a tough 2015 for global leaders, says CFR’s James M. Lindsay.

A UN Security Council vote pushing Israel to leave the Palestinian territories by 2017 would likely undermine the peace process, says expert David Makovsky.  

President Vladimir Putin has failed to deliver a coherent response to Russia’s economic challenges while continuing to feed concerns about his intentions in Ukraine, says CFR’s Stephen Sestanovich.

The United States and Egypt are unlikely to rebuild the strategic partnership they had decades ago, even though some in both countries favor a rapprochement, says CFR’s Steven Cook. 

Though a full deal with Iran appears remote, U.S. allies in the Middle East remain concerned about a continuation of negotiations that could lead to a nuclear-powered Iran, says expert Suzanne Malone…