Commentary and Analysis

"Sending out 50 letters gives the appearance of 'getting things done,'" Paul Poast writes. "It doesn’t matter if those actions are later reversed."

Despite predictions that Trump would dismantle the liberal international order, recent summits suggest it is largely how it's always been, Paul Poast writes.

"So long as ocean traffic remains vital to the global economy, the command of the seas, or at least the ability to project interests on and across them, will remain a key pursuit of major powers," Paul Poast writes.

Were Israel's strikes on Iran preemptive or preventative? Paul Poast weighs in on why the semantics are significant.

"There's been tension building, but yesterday, what happened last night, was definitely an escalation," Paul Poast says of the ongoing conflict between the two nations.

"The current situation is at a much higher level of intensity to where it doesn't seem like that's going to be easy to achieve, if it could even be achieved at all," Paul Poast says of diplomacy between the United States and Iran.

The centrality of wealth in US politics under Trump is more a sign of continuity than change. His falling out with Elon Musk only underscores this point, Paul Poast writes.

With Operation Spiderweb, Ukraine demonstrated it has a lot of fight left. All that means is that the war is set to rage on, Paul Poast writes.

Observers have argued that Trump has irreparably damaged the US reputation abroad. Paul Poast explores whether that matters.

Besides making business deals and accepting lavish gifts, Trump also promised a reset in US-Middle East relations, Paul Poast writes.