By Cagil Albayrak A Powerful Tool The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has raised important questions about the effectiveness of U.S. foreign policy when it comes to defending Eurasian peace and security through sanctions. One of the most controversial proposals has been to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. There has also... Continue Reading →
Some Realists are Unrealistic About Russia
By Justin Kempf A Tragic Anniversary One year ago today Russia invaded Ukraine. It's difficult to adequately describe what has happened. Some call it the War in Ukraine. But this description absolves Russia of its role in starting the conflict. Serhii Plokhy has a new book called The Russo-Ukrainian War. This sounds like a fairer description.... Continue Reading →
A Dual-Edged Sword: Aiding National Defense in Fragile Democracies
By Randell Yi Aiding National Defense in Fragile Democracies Just as the United States appeared to have disengaged from large scale nation building, it massively doubled down on providing economic and military assistance to Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion. While total military aid flows to all recipients increased from $7.34 billion in 2000 to... Continue Reading →
Can Washington and China Cooperate in Foreign Aid?
By Miles Williams Competition or Cooperation in Foreign Aid Last summer I had the privilege of attending a conference put on by the College of William and Mary. This convening brought together a fruitful mix of academics, think tankers, US State Department and USAID officials, and politicians. Our hosts set before us a daunting set... Continue Reading →
Revisiting the Original Cold War
A Review of The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us about Great-Power Rivalry Today by Hal Brands Review By Justin Kempf A New Cold War On May 1st, 1960 the Soviet Union shot down an American spy plane known as the U-2. The United States used the U-2 for aerial reconnaissance because it... Continue Reading →
Robert Kagan Looks to American History to Explain Foreign Policy Today
Robert Kagan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, a columnist at The Washington Post, and among the most influential writers on foreign policy today. His latest book is Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941. Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. We... Continue Reading →
India, Democracy Promoter?
By Šumit Ganguly India's Democratic History Contrary to popular belief, the British had done little to bequeath democracy to India. Instead, democracy emerged in India due to the relentless efforts of Indian nationalists who appropriated liberal democratic ideals and embedded them in the nascent country. The country forged a democratic constitution in 1950, just three... Continue Reading →
Why We Support Ukraine
By Justin Kempf Why We Support Ukraine Yesterday Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an address to Congress where he made his case for continued military and economic support for his country. During his time in Washington, he made the case not just for additional weapons, but also more powerful ones as well. Yet while the United States... Continue Reading →
Elizabeth Economy in a Wide Ranging Conversation About China
Elizabeth C. Economy is serving as the Senior Advisor for China to the Secretary of Commerce. She is on leave from her role as a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Previously she served as the Asia Director at the Council for Foreign Relations. Her past books include The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New... Continue Reading →
Larry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at Home
Larry Diamond is widely considered the leading scholar of democracy. He is a professor at Stanford University and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He was a co-founder of the Journal of Democracy with Marc Plattner in 1990. His influence on the thought and practice of democracy is incalculable. His recent article in Foreign Affairs is titled... Continue Reading →