Category: Dispatches

What Bangladesh’s first post-Hasina election means for the country’s future

By Rudabeh Shahid, Michael Kugelman

Our experts explain what to expect from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party after it won a parliamentary majority—and what these elections mean for the region.

Dispatch from Central Asia: Dynamism amid uncertainty in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

By Andrew D’Anieri

As Central Asia’s geopolitical importance grows, there are significant opportunities for greater US diplomatic and economic engagement with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Dispatch from Mexico City: Trump’s latest consideration of USMCA withdrawal meets a measured reaction

Mexican officials and business leaders are not in a panic over news that the US president is considering exiting the trilateral trade pact.

US critical minerals policy goes collaborative with FORGE

By Reed Blakemore, Alexis Harmon

The Trump administration’s recently announced Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement, or FORGE, is a step forward in its critical minerals agenda.

I was wrong about fighting China in 2025. But the US still isn’t ready for that fight.

By Mike Minihan

A retired US general reflects on his earlier and controversial prediction that the United States and China were headed for conflict.

How 2025’s US tariff shocks can give way to constructive reforms in 2026

By L. Daniel Mullaney

While last year’s US tariff policy was disruptive, it also gave US trade partners a sense of urgency about the need to reform the international trading system and respond to legitimate US concerns.

Why Bangladesh’s elections will echo far beyond its borders

The outcome of Bangladesh’s February 12 election will likely cast a shadow over other upcoming elections in Nepal and India.

How the Trump-Petro meeting could reshape Colombia’s electoral landscape

By Isabella Palacios

Petro’s turn toward engagement with Trump could have a significant impact on Colombia’s upcoming elections and the next president’s relations with Washington.

When economic warfare meets gunboat diplomacy: What to know about the US seizures of shadow fleet tankers

By Stephanie Connor

The Trump administration’s seizures of “shadow fleet” vessels evading US sanctions raises several crucial legal and logistical questions.

The Marine Corps presence in Okinawa is critical to deterring China and North Korea

By Caleb Eames, Amy Cowley

Shifting US forces away from Okinawa would undermine deterrence in the Indo-Pacific by pulling critical rapid-response forces from the First Island Chain.