All Foreign Policy
First LookUS to end military presence in SyriaThe US will begin to pull out 2,000 military troops as President Trump claims victory over the Islamic State in northeastern Syria. The abrupt change in foreign policy will have dramatic consequences on Syria's reconstruction and Turkey's campaign against Kurdish militias.聽
Moral authority or national interest? Senate weighs both in Saudi relations.Both Republican and Democratic senators say at least some balance between values on one side, and security and economic interests on the other, must be restored in relations with a key Mideast ally.
First LookUS returns revered church bells to Philippines 117 years after warDuring a battle of the Philippine-American war in 1901, the US Army reportedly killed thousands of villagers and took three church bells. On Dec. 11, the United States returned the Bells of Balangiga聽in a symbolic gesture of friendship and understanding.聽
Trump and Xi step back from trade war, but for how long?At first blush, the US-China cease-fire was the headline of the G20 summit. But there was another, perhaps more profound, story, as China鈥檚 Xi presented himself as the new champion of multilateralism.
At G20 summit, all eyes on Trump-Xi. Sign of a new world order?The multilateral international order the United States built gave birth to the Group of 20 industrialized countries. But the G20 summit this weekend must contend with President Trump鈥檚 bilateral preferences.
How Khashoggi murder, Yemen war are reawakening activism in CongressWho is responsible for preserving American values in US foreign policy? In the past, Congress has exercised bipartisan oversight of the executive branch. Now, some pro-Saudi policies are stirring discomfort.
Behind breakup of Trump-Macron bromance, a deeper US-Europe divideAs president, Donald Trump has gravitated toward personal and bilateral ties on the world stage. So a weekend of very visible clashes with French leader聽Emmanuel Macron is telling.
How a post-Khashoggi US 'correction' on Saudi relations could unfoldPresident Trump's聽 approach to foreign policy has been emphatically transactional. Could the Khashoggi affair reintroduce an element of soft power on behalf of human rights?
First LookWhite House strains US-China relations with tough trade and combative wordsIn a shift from decades of closer rapprochement, the Trump administration is digging in against China. From trade policy to human rights abuses, the White House is taking an uncompromising position on the country it fears as the next superpower.聽
First LookTrump threatens to cut Central American aid as caravan approaches USIn an attempt to mobilize his supporters before the midterms elections, the president is threatening to end $500 million in aid to Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala 鈥� a move that would ultimately contribute to instability in the region.聽聽
Would US quitting the INF treaty rekindle a big-power arms race?President Trump has pulled the United States from a number of agreements he says are bad deals. But withdrawing from the INF 鈥� an arms control treaty with another nuclear power 鈥� would mark a first.
First LookWith new evidence, pressure mounts against Saudis after Khashoggi's killingSecurity footage shows a man leaving the consulate in Istanbul wearing Jamal Khashoggi's clothes, implying premeditation on the part of the Saudis. US lawmakers say Saudi Arabia should face punishment, but President Trump doesn't want to halt proposed arms sales.
First LookPompeo in Riyadh as Saudis face increasing backlash over missing journalistInternational pressure continues to grow against Saudi Arabia in the disappearance of journalist Jamal聽Khashoggi聽as US Secretary of State meets with leaders of the kingdom.聽Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues to deny Mr. Khashoggi was killed at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.
Will the Khashoggi affair change the course of US-Saudi relations?A president who is generally laissez faire when it comes to other countries鈥� internal affairs now faces a Congress that is far more critical. Which approach will shape relations with a Mideast ally whose behavior is now under scrutiny?
First LookUnder pressure, court allows convicted US pastor to leave TurkeyIn December 2016, an American pastor was imprisoned in Turkey for charges that he committed crimes on behalf of terror groups. Nearly two years later, he will be released from the country 鈥� but only after intense pressure from the US government.聽
Nikki Haley, known for a lead-from-in-front style, exiting UN postNikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, was in sync with President Trump on some issues, but out in front 鈥� perhaps too far聽鈥� on others. At the White House, that wasn't appreciated.
Venezuela crisis: In Latin America, tough Trump rhetoric increasingly in vogueWaves of refugees do more than strain resources in host countries. They also raise concerns of an angrier and more extreme form of politics that could undermine democracy.
Reporter's notebook: Watching as the world watches TrumpWhen the Monitor's chief diplomatic correspondent encounters Donald Trump, it's often in the presence of diplomats and foreign press, giving him insight into how the president plays to others.
At UN, a less restrained Trump expected to double down on America FirstIs President Trump withdrawing the US from its role as world leader? Not all agree. What is clear is his disinterest in the global order his predecessors built 鈥� and his increased confidence in his stance.
Why both Iran and US have taken hits from nuclear deal withdrawalOn the world stage, the use of brute strength is value-neutral only in rare instances. More often it catalyzes opposition, resentment, or active resistance. Yet it is still used.聽
