Diplomacy & International Institutions
China’s Penghu Island Annexation Shows Taiwan Was Never Too Far Off
By Jonathan Stutte |
The Chinese Navy has surrounded the Penghu Islands, located kilometers off the Taiwanese coast. Seen as a warning and a rebuke to Taiwan’s recent rapid foreign policy shift away from China, this piece examines what China might want and how Taiwan can respond.
Recommitting to NATO, Resisting Putin’s Aggression
By Michael Purzycki |
Questioning assumptions about war, and remaining committed to NATO, prepared the United States to stare down a Russian march toward Kyiv.
China’s Geocultural Influence Reaches New Heights as the U.S. Fades from View
By Shannon McNaught |
As we mark the first year since the United States’ withdrawal from UNESCO, what does the future hold for American geocultural influence and who is waiting in the wings to fill the void?
Partnering for Peace: The U.S. Will Need Help with North Korea
By Jonathan Stutte |
Should United States President Donald Trump be reelected this November, his biggest obstacle to a successful North Korean foreign policy will be achieving cooperation with necessary partners China and South Korea.
No Peace for Afghanistan
By Dylan Johnson |
Summary: The 2020 U.S.-Taliban agreement and subsequent U.S. troop withdrawal established conditions for a lasting war between the Taliban and Afghan government. Both too weak to dominate, there is no end in sight.
Bernie Vs. the Blob
By Olivier Weiss |
President Bernie Sanders is trying to jettison the US empire. Washington will only follow begrudgingly. The Sanders administration must urgently articulate a clear strategy.
Choosing a Captain in the Storm
By Adam Ratzlaff |
As Organization of American States members prepare to select the institution’s general secretary, they need to consider the role that the leader will play in protecting democracy in the Americas.
Silencing the Guns: Promoting Sustained Peace in Africa
By Kathryn Urban |
As the African Union recommits to “Silencing the Guns” in 2020, the most effective path forward for the organization is to build upon past peace agreements in CAR and South Sudan.
Monitoring the U.S. Election for Democracy in the Americas
By Adam Ratzlaff |
As the United States enters the 2020 election season, politicians on both sides of the aisle should consider inviting election monitors to observe the election. Doing so would allow the United States to more effectively achieve its objectives in the Americas.
Ensuring Europe’s Security Post-Brexit
By Nick Lokker |
The United Kingdom’s recent departure from the European Union may disrupt Europe’s ability to effectively cooperate and deal with various threats to its security. To mitigate this disruption, the UK should remain closely involved in EU security and defense efforts, and a European Security Council should be established.
Forthcoming ICC Order on the Jurisdiction in the Palestinian Territories – a Beginning of the Court’s End?
By Maksim Greinoman |
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is seized with a request for a ruling the extent of its jurisdiction. The result of this decision will have implications on the whole institution's future.
Why the West Must Remain Engaged in Bosnia
By Michael Purzycki |
Twenty-five years after its devastating war, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains deeply divided by religion and ethnicity. Young Bosnians, however, are more likely to cross divides. Membership in NATO and the European Union would buttress their efforts.
Great Power Competition in the Arctic
By Kathryn Urban |
Under the current administration, U.S. Arctic strategy is geared almost exclusively towards the undermining of Russian and Chinese interests rather than the promotion of American ones.
Turmoil in Bulgaria brings the EU’s rule-of-law problem into sharper relief
By Nick Lokker |
Recent protests in Bulgaria have unveiled the country's long-standing problems with corruption and the rule of law, in the latest example of the EU's issue of anti-democratic regimes among its member states. If the bloc does not take action to address these concerns, its legitimacy could be compromised.
How To Beat The Cartels Without Firing a Shot
By Pierrepont Johnson III |
If the U.S. is serious about reducing cartel violence in Mexico and drug trafficking into the U.S., then it needs to revise its policy away from securitized efforts, like the Mérida initiative, and support efforts for socio-economic development
Trump wants to expand the G-7. Is he right?
By Nick Lokker |
In his announcement postponing the 2020 G-7 summit to this fall, Donald Trump made it known that he wishes to add Russia, Australia, South Korea, and India to the group. An evaluation of this proposal reveals that while the idea of an expanded G-7 may be a good one, only Australia and South Korea are currently good candidates for membership.
In Kim’s Neighborhood: Regional Actors and US-DPRK Relations
By Benjamin Zimmer |
Building off prior Charged Affairs articles, a co-authored article diving into the details of South Korea, Japan, and China's regional role in North Korea relations.
Coercive Coal: Chinese Energy Investment in Developing Countries
By Benjamin Zimmer |
Chinese coal power investment increases the vulnerability of developing countries to Beijing’s coercive leverage.
Make America Righteous Again
By Robert Shines |
As with the Civil Rights Movement before them, the Black Lives Matter protests affect American foreign policy. The U.S. Government can look to that era as an example for how to apply diplomacy domestically and internationally.
Europe’s Dangerous China Dependency
By Nick Lokker |
A string of recent events has revealed the pitfalls of Europe’s economic dependence on China. In order to stand up for its democratic values, the EU must weaken Beijing’s ability to leverage trade and investment ties in service of its hostile political objectives.