Commentary and Analysis

Several states that had long been under the US nuclear umbrella are considering developing their own nuclear weapons. Paul Poast digs into the implications.

The norm against territorial conquest has underpinned the post-World War II rules-based order—but it seems to be weakening, Paul Poast writes.

Prashant Rao, Liz Sly, and Giles Whittell join Ivo Daalder to discuss the week's top news stories.

"When you have a week like we've had with the stock market dropping that amount, it scares people, so they stop buying things," Cécile Shea says.

Most think Trump is focusing too much on tariffs and not enough on the rest of the economy. A few, however, think trade barriers are worth the price.

Are Trump's demands different in kind from how allies have historically interacted? Paul Poast weighs in.

Restrictions on international economic flows—like Trump's tariffs—seem to be obviously bad. But politically speaking, that isn't always the case, Paul Poast argues.

"Rather than changing the global order, COVID-19 was more a reflection and product of that order," Paul Poast writes.

The idea of “smart power” seems especially relevant today. But foreign policy choices usually don't boil down to obvious outcomes, Paul Poast argues.

"Rather than innocent mistakes, the stupid policies on display today seem more like the result of willful ignorance," Paul Poast writes of a range of current world leaders.