U.S. Foreign Policy | Council on Foreign Relations

The End of World Order and American Foreign Policy

The United States should respond to the COVID-19 reordering moment and stop deterioration in the balance of power with China, bolster relations with India and Europe, and reform the way it deals with allies and partners.

Council Special Report by Robert D. Blackwill and Thomas Wright May 28, 2020

Higher Education Webinar: The Triumph and Peril of America’s Alliances

Mira Rapp-Hooper, CFR's Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for Asia Studies and senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center, discusses the U.S. system of alliances and its importance for national security.

Conference Call with Mira Rapp-Hooper Jun 18, 2020

U.S. Foreign Policy

TWNW Presents: Summer Reading Special Episode

In this special episode of The World Next Week, CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to discuss the books they recommend reading, the books they’re looking forward to reading, and the books they’re reading for fun. Read more about Jim, Bob, and Carla’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay, Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins June 17, 2021 The World Next Week
Israel

Christians and Israel

A broad group of U.S. Christian leaders reaches out to Israel's new government

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams June 17, 2021 Pressure Points
Global

Season Four Trailer

Will the world have enough water to survive in the era of climate change? Could a shortage of silicon chips eventually lead to war? Do human spies matter in the era of cyber espionage? Why It Matters is back for its fourth season, unpacking new problems and speaking with a host of new guests.

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra June 16, 2021 Why It Matters

Experts in this Keyword

Elliott Abrams

Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies

Edward Alden

Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow

Robert D. Blackwill

Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy

Max Boot

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies

Karen B. Brooks

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Asia

Thomas E. Donilon

Distinguished Fellow

Richard A. Falkenrath

Senior Fellow for National Security

Jendayi E. Frazer

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Africa Studies

Gordon M. Goldstein

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Thomas Graham

Distinguished Fellow

Richard N. Haass

President, Council on Foreign Relations

Martin S. Indyk

Distinguished Fellow

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan

Editor, Foreign Affairs; Peter G. Peterson Chair

Farah Pandith

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Stephen Sestanovich

George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies

Ray Takeyh

Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Matthew C. Waxman

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Law and Foreign Policy

China

The Debate Over Boycotting the 2022 Beijing Olympics

Several countries are considering boycotting the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. What could a boycott accomplish, and how might China respond?

In Brief by Lindsay Maizland June 16, 2021
Iran

Iran’s Presidential Election, With Suzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what’s at stake when Iranians head to the polls later this week.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Suzanne Maloney June 15, 2021 The President's Inbox
Taiwan

The Time Is Now for a Trade Deal With Taiwan

A comprehensive U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement would benefit U.S. companies, bolster Taiwan's economic security, and underscore Washington's interest in cross-Strait stability.

Blog Post by David Sacks and Jennifer Hillman June 14, 2021 Asia Unbound
Censorship and Freedom of Expression

TWE Remembers: The Pentagon Papers

Sunday is the fiftieth anniversary of the New York Times’ publication of the Pentagon Papers. My colleague Margaret Gach, a research associate for U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relati…

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for The Water's Edge June 11, 2021 The Water's Edge
Middle East and North Africa

End the ‘Forever War’ Cliché

The war in Afghanistan needed to wind down. But Washington is learning the wrong lesson.

Article by Steven A. Cook April 22, 2021 Middle East Program
Diplomacy and International Institutions

America’s ‘Return’ Might Not Be Enough to Revive the West

Is America back and able to make the West once again the core of an open, rules-based world order? Biden and his counterparts have an opportunity to prove skeptics wrong this week.

Article by Stewart M. Patrick June 10, 2021 International Institutions and Global Governance Program
Human Trafficking

Ending Human Trafficking in the Twenty-First Century

Human trafficking bolsters abusive regimes and criminal groups, weakens global supply chains, fuels corruption, and undermines good governance. Jamille Bigio and Rachel B. Vogelstein urge the United States to increase investment in anti-trafficking measures.

Council Special Report by Jamille Bigio and Rachel B. Vogelstein June 10, 2021 Women and Foreign Policy Program
U.S. Foreign Policy

Virtual Roundtable: Major Power Rivalry in Africa

Although major power competition on the African continent is a reality, it should not dominate the Biden administration’s vision for U.S.-Africa relations, argues Michelle Gavin in her new paper Major Power Rivalry in Africa, for the Managing Global Disorder Discussion Paper series. Speakers discuss how the Biden administration can pursue strategic partnerships that align African aspirations and U.S. interests while managing competition with China.

Virtual Event by Michelle Gavin and Mzukisi Qobo June 10, 2021 Center for Preventive Action
Diplomacy and International Institutions

G7 Summit, NATO Summit, and More Summits

World leaders meet for summits of the Group of Seven (G7) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). U.S. President Joe Biden convenes with European Union leaders, and sits down separately with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Sebastian Mallaby June 10, 2021 The World Next Week
Democracy

Biden and Democracy in Nicaragua

Despite all the speeches about the importance of human rights, the Biden administration is standing by as democracy is crushed in Nicaragua

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams June 9, 2021 Pressure Points
Belarus

The Diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978, With Stephen Sestanovich

Ambassador Stephen Sestanovich, CFR’s George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Belarus’s decision to force a commercial airliner to land in Minsk in order to arrest Belarusian journalist and blogger Roman Protasevich.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Stephen Sestanovich June 1, 2021 The President's Inbox
Middle East and North Africa

What Is U.S. Policy on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?

The United States has long tried to negotiate a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but several factors, including deep divisions between and within the parties and declining U.S. interest in carrying out its traditional honest-broker role, hurt the chances of a peace deal.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson May 27, 2021