Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center, welcomes European Council President Antonio Costa, left and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before their meeting in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Jan. 27,2026. Global Economy
Manish Swarup / AP
ANALYSIS by Leslie Vinjamuri

The free trade agreement between India and the European Union is a bold statement by middle powers, demonstrating to both the US and China that there could be better alternatives in a multipolar world.

The U.S. Capitol is seen from the base of the Washington Monument shortly before sunset, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. America at 250
Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
ANALYSIS by Bruce W. Jentleson

American public opinion is increasingly at odds with US President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy. Fifty years of Chicago Council on Global Affairs polling reveals why the "America First" agenda has prevailed—and where it might break down.

An early morning pedestrian is silhouetted against sunrise as he walks through the U.S. Flags on the National Mall and past the US Capitol Building in Washington. America at 250
J. David Ake / AP
ANALYSIS by Jordan Tama

Fifty years of Chicago Council on Global Affairs polling reveals significant reservoirs of cross-party agreement and a strong base of public support for a more cooperative approach to world affairs.

Flags decorate the Congress Center where the Annual Meeting of the World Economy Forum take place in Davos, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. Global Politics
Markus Schreiber / AP
ANALYSIS by Leslie Vinjamuri

News that the World Economic Forum may come down from the mountain is symbolic of the end of an era but also signals the beginning of new thinking about internationalism. In Davos, Trump, Carney, and Zelenskyy offered competing visions for the future international order.

Danish servicemen walk in front of Joint Arctic Command center in Nuuk, Greenland, on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. US Foreign Policy
Evgeniy Maloletka / AP
ANALYSIS by Leslie Vinjamuri

A joint European troop deployment underscores how US allies are navigating Greenland, NATO obligations, and a more coercive American approach.

A man drives his motorbike past a huge banner showing hands firmly holding Iranian flags as a sign of patriotism, as one of them flashes the victory sign, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. Global Politics
Vahid Salemi / AP
ANALYSIS by Saeid Golkar

With the death toll rising in Iran amid a crackdown on protests, US President Donald Trump is weighing a strike against the nation. Iran’s capacity to respond to such an action is far more limited than its leaders suggest.

A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, on March 6, 2025. Global Politics
Evgeniy Maloletka / AP
ANALYSIS by Julianne Smith

As foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland prepare to meet with Trump officials, Ambassador Julianne Smith explains what US actions to acquire the autonomous territory could mean for the United States’ most important alliance.

President Donald Trump meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Washington. Global Politics
Evan Vucci / AP
ANALYSIS by Rachel Bronson

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet this week in Beijing, with bilateral trade high on the agenda. What does it mean for Trump’s efforts to exert control over the Western Hemisphere?

President Donald Trump points to the crowd as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington.  US Foreign Policy
Evan Vucci / AP
ANALYSIS by Leslie Vinjamuri

Trump's first foreign policy moves of the new year included invading Venezuela, threatening to coerce Greenland into becoming a US territory, and withdrawing the US from 66 international organizations.

A demonstrator holds a sign while protesting outside of the White House in Washington Public Opinion
Jose Luis Magana / AP
ANALYSIS

The US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro echoed intents outlined by Trump in the 2025 National Security Strategy. While the action might have appealed to his Republican base, the strategy’s principles are mostly out of step with US public opinion on America’s engagement in the world.

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