Why Fuel Prices May Go Higher Still

Analysis
by Coauthors

Oil-related prices are high, but poised to go even higher.

Gas and diesel prices are displayed at a Mobil station, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Richard Vogel / AP
Global Economy

Trump and Xi Agree on "Constructive Strategic Stability," But Differ on What It Means

Analysis
by Paul Heer

Prospects for positive breakthroughs and stabilization of the US-China relationship will remain limited as long as the two sides are focused more on maneuvering for advantage than on working to define the concept.

President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping walk along the Colonnade of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin / AP
US Foreign Policy

The Case for Talking to China Is Not a Case for Détente

Analysis
by Evan Medeiros

Summits, like this week’s between Trump and Xi, are never cost-free.

President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands as first lady Melania Trump and China's first lady Peng Liyuan watch, after visiting the National Archives Museum, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Washington.
Julia Demaree / AP
US Foreign Policy

Trump's Meeting with Xi Reveals Limits of Personalistic Foreign Policy

Analysis
by Raymond C. Kuo

The two leaders left the US-China summit without any agreement on technology competition, trade, or Taiwan.

President Donald Trump, from right, and first lady Melania Trump attend a tea with China's President Xi Jinping, from left, and his wife Peng Liyuan in the Red Room of the White House, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin / AP
US Foreign Policy

What Trump's Greenland Deal Means for Arctic Security

Analysis
by Coauthors

Julianne Smith, Deborah Rosenblum, and Ariane Tabatabai discuss how the US-Denmark-Greenland agreement will impact US force posture, intra-NATO tensions, and Trump’s push to acquire Greenland.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, before signing a security agreement during the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the UN headquarters, as Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, center, looks on.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
Geopolitics

Can the United States and China Compete on AI While Managing Shared Risks?

Analysis
by Coauthors

Without buy-in from Washington and Beijing, proposals aimed at reining in artificial intelligence are unlikely to move the needle.

A person passes by a display of robots and a sign that says AI
Ng Han Guan / AP
Technology

Ignoring the BRICS Summit Is a Mistake

Analysis
by Suzanne Nossel

Though internally divided, the grouping normalizes an international landscape where the United States is not at the table.

World leaders pose for a group photo during the BRICS summit in New Delhi
Indian Foreign Ministry via AP
Geopolitics

Will China Fill the UN Leadership Gap?

Analysis
by Raymond C. Kuo

Reports that Xi will forgo addressing the United Nations General Assembly ahead of his meeting with Trump in Washington raise uncomfortable questions about the role of multilateral institutions under great power compacts.

People walk around the plaza by the Sphere Within Sphere outside the United Nations Headquarters on the first day of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly's High-Level week, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025.
Angelina Katsanis / AP
Global Politics

The Next Defining Moment of the Iran War

Analysis
by Ariane Tabatabai

As the midterm elections approach, the Trump administration has realized its strategy isn’t working. Will economic measures succeed where military operations failed?

A woman waves an Iranian flag during a pro-government gathering at a square in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.
Vahid Salemi / AP
US Foreign Policy

What This Moment Requires of Us

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

The Council’s founders believed that the United States should have a positive vision for international engagement—and that the Midwest had a critical role to play.

A flower seller arranges bouquets ahead of celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
Nava Jamshidi / AP
Global Politics