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

South Africa

Facing Reality on South Africa

Walking on eggshells with South Africa only obscures an increasingly discordant U.S.-South Africa relationship.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 16, 2023 Africa in Transition
Sudan

Sudan’s Two Truths

Amidst a flurry of international voices working to mediate the crisis in Sudan, the United States must not allow Sudanese civil society to be drowned out.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin May 10, 2023 Africa Program
Israel

As Israel Turns 75, "Foreign Affairs" Publishes a Call to Eliminate It

In its May/June issue "Foreign Affairs" magazine published an article by four well-known academics that called in essence for an end to the Jewish state that has existed since 1948.

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams May 9, 2023 Pressure Points

Taiwan

Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense

Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland. Taiwan has the potential to be a flash point in U.S.-China relations.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland April 18, 2023
Mexico

Back to the Future in U.S.-Mexican Relations

Human rights and the rule of law in Mexico are under siege. It would be a grave error for the United States to believe that its only interests there are trade and border security, and do not include democratic stability.

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams April 16, 2023 Pressure Points
U.S. Foreign Policy

Diplomacy and the Fight for Race Equality: a Fireside Chat With U.S. Special Representative Desirée Cormier Smith

As U.S. foreign policy evolves, how can the State Department truly help America lead not merely by the example of its power, but the power of its example?

Blog Post by Catherine Powell and Alexandra Dent March 27, 2023 Women Around the World
Taiwan

How Will China Respond to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen’s Visit to the United States?

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen will visit the United States next month. China is sure to retaliate, but how far it goes will say a lot about the trajectory of cross-strait and U.S.-China relations.

Blog Post by David Sacks March 8, 2023 Asia Unbound
Chad

The United States Should Not Play Russia’s Game in Africa

In the wake of reports of a Wagner Group plot in Chad, Washington should resist the urge to resurrect Cold War-era partnerships.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin March 3, 2023 Africa in Transition
Russia

Implications of the Russia-Ukraine War

The Russia-Ukraine war has implications for the Middle East, Europe, and Asia and of course for U.S. foreign policy. In this speech I addressed them briefly.

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams February 26, 2023 Pressure Points
South Africa

The Limits of the U.S.-South Africa Relationship

The Biden administration’s attempts to build closer bonds with South Africa may not bear fruit, but it may be worth devoting more attention to nongovernmental actors.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin February 1, 2023 Africa in Transition
Sub-Saharan Africa

PEPFAR at Twenty

PEPFAR’s twentieth anniversary should prompt reflection on some inconvenient truths for U.S.-Africa relations.

Blog Post by Michelle Gavin January 23, 2023 Africa Program
Russia

Ten Lessons from the Return of History

As 2022 comes to a close, there are important lessons from the year that we ignore at our peril.

Article by Richard Haass December 13, 2022
Elections and Voting

Making Sense of Midterm America

The midterm elections will have ramifications for U.S. foreign policy.

Article by Richard Haass November 10, 2022 Renewing America
Middle East and North Africa

How Much Influence Does Iran Have in Iraq?

Iran has built considerable political clout in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Its wide sphere of influence could be expanding, raising domestic tensions and alarming U.S. policymakers.

In Brief by Kali Robinson October 18, 2022
Foreign Policy

Lessons From History Series: The Legacy of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

In early 1947, Harry Truman announced that the United States would give assistance to countries under threat from authoritarian forces. Later that year, George C. Marshall addressed Harvard University on the urgent need to help European recovery. In the year that followed the Marshall plan was enacted. Please join our panelists as they discuss the legacy of the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine seventy-five years later and the lessons to be learned for U.S. foreign policy today. The Lessons From History Series uses historical analysis as a critical tool for understanding modern foreign policy challenges by hearing from practitioners who played an important role in a consequential historical event or from experts and historians. This series is made possible through the generous support of David M. Rubenstein.

Virtual Event by Timothy Garton Ash, Mary Elise Sarotte and Benn Steil October 3, 2022 Lessons From History