Dispatches

Dispatch from Munich: Pursuing Middle East integration during a time of upheaval

By Allison Minor

The next year will provide an important opportunity to channel changes across the Middle East toward greater integration and stability.

Weaponizing the odds: Prediction markets as a new vector for foreign influence

By Matthew Wein

As these markets proliferate, policymakers should treat them as dual-use infrastructures that require deliberate guardrails.

The promise and peril of Trump’s Board of Peace

By Eric Alter

The inaugural meeting of President Donald Trump’s initiative to manage the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza takes place on February 19.

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.