All Foreign Policy
Trump at G7: Is discord over declining US-led system just a family quarrel?With Trump focusing on his high stakes meeting with Kim Jong-un, the Group of Seven summit in Canada may feel more like a distraction. But the dispute over trade is a reminder that not all is well with the traditional US base.
North Korea summit: So what would a nuclear deal look like?Patience will be a virtue, it seems, in reaching a denuclearization deal with North Korea. While the outline of such a deal is still hazy,聽 the path is becoming clearer: a drawn-out process of give-and-take.
First LookHighest-level official North Korean visit to US in 18 years offers hope for summitAlthough President Trump cancelled the June 12 summit with Kim Jong-un in Singapore, Secretary Pompeo met with North Korea's former military intelligence chief to discuss restoring plans.
North Korea talks: In Trump-Xi poker game, who has the better hand?In the multilayered diplomacy over North Korea's nuclear program, little is certain. But two things appear clear: Beijing is playing a determinant role, and US-China rivalry will be the game of the century.
First LookNorth Korean summit still being planned after Trump cancellationThe White House says it still plans to meet with North Korea. Currently, a team of American diplomats are preparing for the summit with North Korean officials in the demilitarized zone.听
First LookTrump cancels summit with North Korea over perceived threatsPresident Trump canceled a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un planned for next month. While diplomacy with Pyongyang had become Trump's top focus, he said a recent statement from the North had "tremendous anger and open hostility."聽
Confronting Iran, US tests diplomatic strength without unityBeyond outlining harsh measures to constrain Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's speech Monday at the Heritage Foundation seemed to imply a fundamental question about US foreign policy: Can it achieve key goals without a coalition of its most powerful allies?
How regime change, with modifications, has new life under TrumpHow to deal with rogue nations? Recent US experiments with "regime change" in Iraq and Afghanistan appeared to delist the policy as an option. But in the latest iteration of the Trump administration, a freshened "troop-less" version is getting a look.
Gaza and Jerusalem: Assessing the real costs of 'low-cost' US diplomacyThe optics were inescapably awful. Even as VIPs in Jerusalem dedicated the relocated US embassy, Israeli soldiers killed dozens of Palestinian protesters in Gaza. But beyond the timing, the partisan nature of the move has implications for Mideast peace and US diplomacy.
Iran and North Korea ... and the art of the denuclearization dealPresident Trump has consistently heaped scorn on the Iran deal achieved by his predecessor. But his announcement that the US was pulling out also presented an opportunity to tout his approach to talks with North Korea. Even as he defied critics and the advice of allies, he was saying: This is how to do a deal.
Pompeo's dilemma: World and State both need immediate attentionWhen Mike Pompeo was nominated as secretary of State he was touted as just the administrator the understaffed State Department needed to right the ship and improve morale. But from Day 1 the foreign-policy challenges have been historic and unrelenting. Can he handle both areas of responsibility at once? He may have to.
First LookTrump pulls US out of Iran nuclear dealPresident Trump announces US exit from the 'one-sided' 2015 deal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded by saying that Iran will only negotiate for a short time with countries remaining in the accord before 'enriching uranium more than before.'
Trump-Macron: True partners, or just friends?Amid the fanfare of a state visit, what President Macron may be about to learn is whether his winning shows of strength translate into concrete results on matters of concern to France, especially when dealing with the 'America First' president.
Pompeo for State: Meeting Kim may help sell him as a diplomatic repairmanPompeo's confirmation as secretary of State is uncertain, but Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, appearing at a Monitor Breakfast, called reports Pompeo met secretly with Kim Jong-un 'a plus.'
Pence replacing Trump at Peru summit. But name that matters most is Monroe.The Monroe Doctrine's revival, even if only as a rhetorical tool, is likely to mean a wary reception for Pence at the Summit of the Americas, analysts say. And any attempt by the US to browbeat its neighbors over economic ties to China is certain to be received with a collective 'Too late!'
Syria: What Trump is signaling to Mideast allies and foes about US prioritiesAfter an internal debate, the White House indicated a US exit from Syria is not imminent, but very much in the plans. Some analysts see Trump poised to pivot his focus, and military resources, to Asia, especially North Korea.
Is Trump finding 'America First' incompatible with 'America alone'?Lately, President Trump seems to be putting more stock in strong alliances 鈥� a contrast to the rhetoric that dominated his first year in office. But compromise often comes with a more familiar message: that his hard line made it happen.听
A hawkish new White House tilt, but some also see a glimmer of realismMost foreign policy experts consider John Bolton, a piercingly intelligent uber-hawk, the exact wrong choice to guide an impulsive and untested president. But others note elements of realism Bolton has exhibited and look to the moderating influence of less-extreme voices, including the president himself.
Putin's provocations: Is it a new cold war if West doesn't push back?The West and Russia are once again at ideological loggerheads, this time between authoritarianism and democracy. But as Putin advances and provokes, Western pushback is mostly verbal, avoiding measures that would be costly to both sides. And he knows it.
First LookAcknowledging Russian interference, Treasury Department applies sanctionsTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced newly imposed sanctions on 19 Russian officials suspected of interfering in US elections. The move comes amid criticism of the Trump administration for acting too slowly on Russian hacking allegations.听
