Ideas

Trump Got Nearly Nothing From Kim Jong Un

Maybe this is the beginning of something big. But it started off small.

Ideas

The Secrecy Surrounding the John Doe-ISIS Case Is the Real Threat

An accused terrorist may go free because the Trump administration demanded an end-run around the rule of law.

Ideas

This Is Bigger Than a Meeting With Kim Jong Un

Donald Trump is navigating a new nuclear era—and fashioning a new approach.

Ideas

Russia Is Quietly Playing Three Roles in the Korean Drama

Though it rarely makes the news, Moscow has a critical part as a behind-the-scenes negotiator, spoiler, and unholy ally.

Ideas

A Senior White House Official Defines the Trump Doctrine: ‘We’re America, Bitch’

The president believes that the United States owes nothing to anyone—especially its allies.

Policy

Trump Goes to War Against the Democracies

Through the G7 summit, the brittle pretense of unity held together. Then came the tweets.

Ideas

The French President Has Described America Like a Rogue State

"We have to try to convince the United States to remain in the community of nations.”

Ideas

This Is the Week that the Drone Surveillance State Became Real

Not only do local police now have access to drones, but footage from those flying cameras will be automatically analyzed by AI systems not disclosed to the public.

Ideas

What Happens in the Gulf Doesn’t Stay in the Gulf

A year after the Qatar crisis began, it’s having potentially dangerous reverberations in the Horn of Africa.

Ideas

Rick Perry Should Not Be Allowed to Pick Nuclear Weapons

The Trump administration and its allies in Congress want the Energy Secretary to determine whether to develop a new class of low-yield nuclear weapons.

Ideas

Drone Strikes Expand, Hustling the US Down a Risky Path

It’s time to rethink the tradeoffs between tactical efficiency and strategic risk. A new Stimson Center report lays them out.

Ideas

How Sanctions Feed Authoritarianism

Past experience shows that economic pressure does change societies—but it mostly facilitates hardliners. Iran’s regime may be next.

Ideas

Trump Is Choosing Eastern Europe

That is the subtext of the mini-crises sparked by his ambassador to Germany and of a recent speech by the assistant secretary of state for Europe.

Ideas

An Alliance Too Far: The Case Against a Cyber NATO

Should such an organization even get off the ground, it would soon fall apart. But there are other paths to take.

Ideas

Worker-Bee Satellites Will Weaponize Space — and Help Us Keep the Peace

Traditional arms-control negotiations have gone nowhere in half a century. A functional tack offers a way forward.

Ideas

Four Ways North Korea's Nukes Spell Trouble for the US — Even If They're Never Used

Kim Jong Un's ability to export anything from ICBM plans to working warheads gives him tremendous leverage, while boxing in U.S. responses.

Ideas

NATO’s Most Urgent Pledge Isn’t 2%-of-GDP. It’s Better Cyber Defense

The alliance has made strides toward its 2016 Cyber Defense Pledge. But more must be done, and urgently.

Ideas

I'm an Actor and Activist. Silence Is Just Not an Option

After Roseanne's tweets, critics again want to silence all artists. But I'm a 10-year advocate for human rights in Iran and done right political participation should include all people — including celebrities.

Ideas

A Radical Pick for the National Security Council

John Bolton’s new chief of staff comes from the Center for Security Policy, a group that was largely shunned by conservatives in Washington—but is making a comeback in the Trump era.

Ideas

Trump’s North Korea Gamble Is a Real-Time Experiment

Here’s how the president’s bets look when viewed through the lens of behavioral economics.