Past Events

Roundtable with Australian Ambassador to the US Greg Moriarty

PAST EVENT

A private roundtable discussion with the Ambassador of Australia to the United States, Greg Moriarty AO, on the US-Australia alliance, the trilateral AUKUS partnership, and defense and security developments in the Indo-Pacific.

US / Australia flags
Patrick Semansky / AP

NATO Summit Debrief: What Comes Next After Ankara?

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Ambassador Julianne Smith, General Christopher Cavoli, and Leslie Vinjamuri analyze the outcomes of this summer's NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, left, depart a photo opportunity at the State Department on April 8, 2026.
Rod Lamkey / AP

Commentary

What Are We Fighting For?

In the News
Gloves Off Podcast
Julianne Smith

How can middle powers win without returning to globalization and the same old system? Council Distinguished Nonresident Fellow Ambassador Julianne Smith weighs in.

Stephen Marche and Julianne Smith appear in a split screen video Geopolitics

The Gulf's New NATO?

Analysis
by Rachel Bronson

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is not just a response to Iran but the divergence between states over theories of power.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026.
Saudi Press Agency via AP
Geopolitics

Research

7 in 10 Americans Say Iran War Not Worth Fighting

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

New polling finds 68 percent of Americans believe the costs of the war with Iran have outweighed the benefits, though Republicans stand apart.

Demonstrators rally outside the White House to protest US military action in Iran
Jose Luis Magana / AP
Public Opinion

Strong Bipartisan Support for NATO Ahead of 2026 Summit

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Dina Smeltz

A new Chicago Council survey finds bipartisan majorities support the NATO alliance, including US troop deployments in Germany and Poland.

Flags flap in the wind outside NATO headquarters in Brussels
Virginia Mayo / AP
Public Opinion

Experts

Rachel Bronson 

Lester Crown Senior Nonresident Fellow, Energy and Geopolitics, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Photo of Rachel Bronson

Ivo H. Daalder 

President Emeritus, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Headshot of Ivo H. Daalder