Commentary

President Donald Trump’s first year back in office changed the tone of US foreign policy. We look back at the moments that stood out.

The Trump administration's recent posture toward Venezuela reflects a long-standing focus of US foreign policy: control of the Western Hemisphere.

Nonresident Senior Fellow Paul Poast unpacks the recent US strikes on Venezuelan boats and the risks involved with a potential US push for regime change.

From the exclusion of Europe in outlining a Ukraine peace plan, a continued push against Venezuela, and his embrace of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Trump showed this week that he will disrupt the status quo to deliver on his agenda.

What’s really driving Washington’s new hard line on Caracas—is this a bold policy shift?

"The hard reality is that the application of rules, be they domestic or international, comes down to exercises of power," Paul Poast writes.

Lee Hockstader, Andrew Roth, and Felicia Schwartz join Ivo Daalder to discuss the week's top news stories.

James Lindsay and Matt Kaminski join Ivo Daalder to discuss the end of Pax Americana.

"It’s no wonder that many see Trump taking US foreign policy in a darker, more coercive direction," Paul Poast argues.

Bobby Ghosh, James Harding, and Carla Anne Robbins join guest host Deborah Amos to discuss the week's top news stories.