Politics & Diplomacy

Europe’s battle over Russia’s blocked assets is nearing its endgame

By Charles Lichfield

EU heads of state and government meet this week to discuss and vote on a “reparations loan” plan that would use blocked Russian assets to aid Ukraine.

As the US, Ukraine, and Europe talk of peace, Russia still thinks only of surrender

By John E. Herbst

As US and European officials work with Kyiv to sort out security guarantees and other elements of a potential deal, Moscow continues its obstinance.

Beijing pressures Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic partners. Here’s what the US should do in response

By Kitsch Liao, Nik Foster, Santiago Villa

Taiwan’s shrinking circle of diplomatic partners plays a crucial role in deterring Chinese coercion, and the United States needs a more targeted strategy to help preserve this support and maintain cross-strait stability.

How Europe can strengthen its own defenses and rebalance transatlantic relations

Europe should advance a new security architecture aimed at strengthening its own defense while continuing to cooperate with the United States in areas of mutual interest.

Iran poses challenges to a National Security Strategy ready to move on

By Nathanael Swanson

If, as its new strategy suggests, the White House wants to spend less time on Iran, then it has three options—and one is better than the others.

It’s all about Hamas’s disarmament

By Daniel B. Shapiro

A US-brokered cease-fire ended the Israel-Hamas war, but the next phase depends on the group’s disarmament. Until that happens, Gaza’s reconstruction, regional diplomacy, and political future hang in the balance.

In Southeast Asia, the promise and pitfalls of tariff diplomacy are on full display 

By Amy Searight

US President Donald Trump’s high-profile intervention in the Thai-Cambodian border dispute delivered a cease-fire, but its violation exposes the fragility of tariff diplomacy and raises questions about the durability of coercive US diplomacy in the region.

From the DRC to Sudan, Trump’s disruptive moves could revive stalled negotiations

By Maureen Farrell

Across Africa, US President Donald Trump’s unorthodox diplomacy is unsettling old patterns—reviving talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and injecting new momentum into Sudan mediation. The gains may be fragile, but the openings are real.

Inside Trump’s peace plans  

By Atlantic Council experts

From Rwanda to Cambodia, US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts mix economic pressure, trade deals, and high-profile ceremonies. His unorthodox style produces rapid results—but can it achieve lasting peace?