What an unburdened Trump means for the rest of the world
Having apparently survived the Mueller report, President Trump appears to feel unchained — ready to “go full animal” in the words of Steve Bannon. What does that mean for U.S. foreign policy?
Foreign Concept
Foreign Concept provides international affairs coverage by Mark Porubcansky, a foreign correspondent and editor for 30 years, who, until recently, served as foreign editor of the Los Angeles Times.
Young political leaders can be impressive. They can also be just as problematic as old political leaders.
For every Jacinda Ardern, there is also a Mohammed Bin Salman.
You can now add nuclear weapons to the list of things to start worrying about again
We’re faced with the possibility that all three treaties that constrained the world’s dominant nuclear powers for decades will soon be in the dustbin of history. To be replaced by what, exactly?
Democrats aren’t the only party tying themselves in knots over charges of anti-Semitism
In Britain, Labor is confronting charges that it carries within it a deep vein of anti-Semitism.
The U.S. could end up paying dearly for Trump’s disregard for Africa
A forward-looking policy – even if it put self-interest first — would lock in relationships and ways of doing business intended to hold up over the long haul. And that’s exactly what’s being done. By China.
What to expect from this week’s Trump-Kim summit? It’s not clear that even Trump’s advisers know
Trump told a rally in September that Kim had written him “beautiful letters,” and that “We fell in love.” Even for Trump, that was a pretty weird thing to say.
At this point, Iran’s leaders may just plan to run out the clock on the Trump administration
Iranian leaders have to take seriously the possibility that Trump will be out of office in less than two years.
The trial of El Chapo revealed more about America than the fight over a border wall
The country does have a crisis on its hands: opioid addiction. Border security is part of the solution, and the money is far better spent where the drugs actually arrive.
Leaving Afghanistan: The way the U.S. does it is important
The United States is pretty clearly on its way out. Its best chance of leaving with some dignity requires the president to do a couple of things that are deeply out of character.
There is a crisis along the border. It’s just not the U.S.-Mexico border
The U.N. says 3 million people — about 10 percent of Venezuela’s population — have already fled due to hyperinflation, shortages, violence and instability. More than a million of them have flooded into Colombia. About 4,000 more arrive every day.
Where does Brexit stand now, and where does it go from here?
There are now little more than two months left before Britain crashes out of the European Union, and it’s still possible that politicians will conjure up some magic. But don’t count on it.
Strongmen may be on a roll, but they are rarely secure
Leaders who can foster a national sense of grievance, maintain a stable economy and stitch a few fig leaves over their worst excesses have built a surprisingly stable model of governing. One big problem remains for them: the exit strategy.
Trump may be basically right about Syria
He’s just going about it in the worst possible way.
A few of the things that are actually going right with the world
It’s easy amid the madness du jour to lose sight of incremental change for the better.
Conflict between Russia and Ukraine extends to the spiritual realm
The creation of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a result of differences that have been simmering since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and took on new urgency when war broke out between Ukraine and Russia.
In France’s ‘yellow vest’ protests, signs of a new European conservative movement?
If the lesson of recent years is that the urge for greater European integration and openness to immigration have passed their peak, then it would be wise to keep an eye on this new brand of conservatives.
Why it’s time to worry about Taiwan again
China, the United States and Taiwan have managed tense times before. But the status quo appears increasingly fragile. If someone cracks it, we’re not risking a trade war. We’re risking a real war.
The only thing worse than Theresa May’s Brexit deal is pretty much any Brexit deal
The prime minister will campaign hard for her deal, and the leadership can twist some arms. But the betting is that she still comes up short. Meanwhile, the clock will be ticking.
Russia’s election meddling isn’t going anywhere. It’s going to get worse.
Russia did try to interfere in the election, and experts also are clear on another point: Worse is yet to come.
Emmanuel Macron got it right
Hosting a ceremony Sunday that marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, Macron focused on the war’s ruinous nationalism, contrasting it with an idealistic patriotism that he declared to be the exact opposite.
