Can Middle Powers Make the US-Led G20 Relevant?

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

The forum combines middle powers ambition with great power access. But the US presidency promises a narrow agenda and unpredictable leadership.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stand as leaders pose for a group photo, on the opening day of the G20 Leaders' Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025.
Yves Herman / AP
US Foreign Policy

What a Snap Election Could Mean for Israel and Netanyahu

Analysis
by Joel Braunold

Disputes within the Knesset over a military draft bill could prompt a change in Israel's leadership. What would it take to get there?

Israeli lawmakers in the Israeli parliament, during a session considering a bill to dissolve the government in Jerusalem, Wednesday, May 20,2026.
Ohad Zwigenberg / AP
Global Politics

Rise of Middle Powers: 'A New Order Is Gradually Being Born'

Podcast
Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast

The US and China dominate the conversation about global power, but they aren't the whole story. Anne-Marie Slaughter explains why middle powers may play a bigger role in shaping what comes next.

WEF Carney
Markus Schreiber / AP
Global Politics

Secretary Marco Rubio Testifies Before Congress

In the News
BBC News
Leslie Vinjamuri

"Secretary Rubio is in an incredibly difficult position of trying to articulate a strategy for ending the war when there is no good strategy for ending the war," Council President & CEO Leslie Vinjamuri tells BBC News.

Leslie Vinjamuri speaks on BBC News. US Foreign Policy

The Ebola Outbreak Is a Test of International Health Cooperation

Analysis
by Joshua Busby

As the virus spreads, the United States is turning inward. Can the international community contain the outbreak without Washington?

Workers load World Health Organization (WHO) emergency supplies onto a United Nations plane in Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, May 20, 2026, headed for Congo to combat the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province.
Andrew Kasuku / AP
Global Health

Ceasefire Under Strain: Where US-Iran Peace Talks Stand

In the News
WTTW
Ariane Tabatabai

Ariane Tabatabai, the Council's vice president of research for security and defense, joins Chicago Tonight to discuss the latest on the war, Iran's nuclear program, and more.

Ariane Tabatabai on Chicago Tonight Defense and Security

Neither a Birthday Party nor a Funeral: How the Council is Preparing for America's 250th

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

The Council's America at 250 Global Forum will convene high-level policymakers, world-class scholars and experts, business leaders, and influential thought leaders to reflect on the nation's past and inform its future.

The U.S. Capitol backdrops the National Mall where construction crews prepare The Mall for the 250 anniversary celebrations, Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Washington.
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
US Foreign Policy

Trump, Europe, and the Russia-Ukraine War

In the News
CNN
Leslie Vinjamuri

"Momentum should be on Ukraine's side, if only Europe and the United States could collaborate effectively to really take advantage of this moment," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri tells CNN International.

Leslie Vinjamuri speaks with a CNN journalist Defense and Security

Is the US Entering a New Era of Global Power?

Podcast
Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast

Former Pentagon official Michèle Flournoy breaks down how America’s changing defense strategy could reshape the global order and US power.

Soldiers
Aaron Favila / AP
Defense and Security

Two Ways Trump’s Cuba Standoff Could End

In the News
Vox
Cécile Shea

"It’s hard for politicians to look past the next election," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Cécile Shea tells Today, Explained. "But we should also be thinking about what kind of relationship we want with Cuba 15 years from now."

Members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces attend a rally in support of former President Raul Castro
Ramon Espinosa / AP
US Foreign Policy