All Foreign Policy
US warship in South China Sea: What's at stake?The US often uses its warships in freedom-of-navigation exercises. This patrol was聽public, and meant to be so, in a way that such moves usually aren't.
Why the nuclear deal has empowered Iran, for nowThe Iran nuclear deal was hailed by some as a way to ease tensions with the West. So far, the reverse has happened, offering hints about Iran's motivations.
Why world leaders' bid to calm violence in Israel might not be enoughUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry are coming to the Middle East to try to quiet tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
Why Obama decided to break campaign pledge on AfghanistanPresident Obama announced Thursday 5,500 US troops will remain in Afghanistan after he leaves office in 2017, violating a chief campaign pledge.
With Syrian airstrikes, Putin casts Russia as everything US is notTrying to woo regional allies, Russian President Vladimir Putin has cast Russia's intervention in Syria as decisive and practical.
Why the West hopes Russia will avoid another AfghanistanThere are plenty of potential negatives to Russia鈥檚 actions in Syria, but stabilizing the security situation could be a positive step 鈥� if it's part of a broader transition, Western analysts say.
What is Putin thinking? How Russia could shake up Syria crisis.Does Vladimir Putin have grand designs in Syria, or is he just poking the West in the eye? Russian airstrikes could force the US to change its strategy.
UN leaders agree on how to defeat ISIS. Doing it is the hard partPresident Obama held a summit at the UN to address the rise of the Islamic State. Efforts haven't gone well so far, underscoring the difficulty of the task ahead.
'This progress is real': Obama makes case for diplomacy in blunt UN speechPresident Obama鈥檚 speech at the UN Monday was light on specifics, instead focusing on the argument that diplomacy 鈥� not strongman tactics 鈥� is the means for human progress.
A wary Obama meets with Putin on Syria crisis. Can Russia help?Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with President Obama at the UN Monday to talk about Syria. But the West remains skeptical of his motives.
US-China summit: human rights crackdown threatens to cloud state visitAs China emerges as an economic and military rival that Washington both competes and cooperates with, other issues tend to get top billing at the summit table.聽Still, human rights will get attention.
First LookWhat's included in latest easing of Cuban business, travel restrictions?New regulations which release some of the restrictions on business travel and investment have been defended as advancing both American and Cuban interests in the region, but some restrictions still remain.
US, Russian defense agree to military talks on SyriaDefense Secretary Ash Carter spoke with his Russian counterpart Friday聽about the need to 'de-conflict' the Russian buildup to support the Syrian government against the Islamic State group.
First LookUS government adopts 'sexual rights' vocabulary: What does the term mean?The White House announcement follows years of work by lobbyists pushing for the US government to take a bigger role in promoting gender-related issues.
Senate Democrats keep Iran nuclear deal aliveDemocrats in the US Senate won a slim majority Thursday in a vote to block a Republican-backed effort to kill the Iran nuclear agreement.
Obama asks US to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees: Is that the right number?The increase is certain to run into opposition from those worried about potential national security implications. But refugee advocates criticize the ramping up as too modest in the face of global need.
US will take in additional refugees from Middle East and Africa, Kerry saysThe secretary of State, meeting with members of Congress, did not give any specifics on the number of additional refugees the US may be willing to take.
Cautious on Syria war, Obama now cautious on refugee crisisDuring the past four years, 4 million Syrians have fled their country's civil war. The US has accepted just over 1,500 refugees, so far allowing Europe to take the lead on the issue.
Amid challenges in Middle East, US and Saudi Arabia share goalsDuring President Barack Obama's meeting with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, the two leaders share one another's foreign policy goals in respect to Yemen and Iran.
What Saudi King wants from Obama meetingKing Salman will surely share Saudi Arabia's concerns about Iran when he meets with President Obama Friday, but they range well beyond just the nuclear deal.