Foreign Affairs
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A magazine of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs, founded in 1922. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/
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Foreign Affairs
@foreignaffairs.com
· Dec 16
Our January/February 2026 issue is now available online. Start reading here: fam.ag/3Mxfg8G
The United States is “quiet quitting” the transatlantic alliance it has led for nearly eight decades, Sara Bjerg Moller writes. But abandoning this leadership post will limit Washington’s “freedom to operate, unconstrained, on the global stage.”
Trump’s NATO Dilemma
America can’t disengage from the alliance and also lead it.
fam.ag
February 12, 2026 at 9:36 PM
The United States is “quiet quitting” the transatlantic alliance it has led for nearly eight decades, Sara Bjerg Moller writes. But abandoning this leadership post will limit Washington’s “freedom to operate, unconstrained, on the global stage.”
Listen to the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” featuring @iomchief.iom.int on the failures of the global immigration system—and how it can be restructured in a way that prevents further social unrest.
https://fam.ag/466GUAh
https://fam.ag/466GUAh
February 12, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Listen to the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” featuring @iomchief.iom.int on the failures of the global immigration system—and how it can be restructured in a way that prevents further social unrest.
https://fam.ag/466GUAh
https://fam.ag/466GUAh
Read David Lampton and Wang Jisi on how Beijing and Washington can take steps toward a new normalization—one “that pulls each side back from the brink”:
America and China at the Edge of Ruin
A last chance to step back from the brink.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Read David Lampton and Wang Jisi on how Beijing and Washington can take steps toward a new normalization—one “that pulls each side back from the brink”:
“The settler movement has taken advantage of Israelis’ nervousness and the distraction of Gaza to reconfigure the status quo in the West Bank with a breathtakingly ambitious program of spatial engineering,” writes Shira Efron.
Israel Is Quietly Annexing the West Bank
The blunder that will imperil any Mideast peace.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:42 PM
“The settler movement has taken advantage of Israelis’ nervousness and the distraction of Gaza to reconfigure the status quo in the West Bank with a breathtakingly ambitious program of spatial engineering,” writes Shira Efron.
Reposted by Foreign Affairs
In @foreignaffairs.com, Anton Leicht and I wrote about how middle powers should navigate an AI revolution that threatens to leave them behind: www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/r...
The AI Divide
How U.S.-Chinese competition could leave most countries behind.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:40 PM
In @foreignaffairs.com, Anton Leicht and I wrote about how middle powers should navigate an AI revolution that threatens to leave them behind: www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/r...
“The uncomfortable truth is that democracy and freedom in Iran will require either external support or that factions inside the ruling system, backed by a segment of the armed forces, join with the Iranian people,” writes @osto.bsky.social.
How the Iranian Regime Breaks
Elite fracture will come gradually and then suddenly.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:33 PM
“The uncomfortable truth is that democracy and freedom in Iran will require either external support or that factions inside the ruling system, backed by a segment of the armed forces, join with the Iranian people,” writes @osto.bsky.social.
To bring Sudan’s warring parties to the negotiating table, foreign powers must apply enough pressure to “change the militaries’ calculations,” writes @perthes.bsky.social.
How the War in Sudan Could End
As the battlefield stabilizes, a window for negotiations opens.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:15 PM
To bring Sudan’s warring parties to the negotiating table, foreign powers must apply enough pressure to “change the militaries’ calculations,” writes @perthes.bsky.social.
The Trump administration’s policies are causing Beijing to “look like a more reliable trade partner than Washington,” writes Audrye Wong.
https://fam.ag/4bQ3jW7
https://fam.ag/4bQ3jW7
China’s Economic Statecraft Is Working
Why Beijing can succeed even with an imperfect strategy.
fam.ag
February 11, 2026 at 7:20 PM
The Trump administration’s policies are causing Beijing to “look like a more reliable trade partner than Washington,” writes Audrye Wong.
https://fam.ag/4bQ3jW7
https://fam.ag/4bQ3jW7
“By continuing to expend American power in peripheral or unnecessary conflicts, the Trump administration will only accelerate the United States’ relative decline,” argues Michael Singh.
America the Fearful
Visions of decline are a self-fulfilling prophecy.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:56 PM
“By continuing to expend American power in peripheral or unnecessary conflicts, the Trump administration will only accelerate the United States’ relative decline,” argues Michael Singh.
Read @samagreene.bsky.social and Christopher Walker on how NATO can prevent Russia’s shadow attacks from spiraling into all-out war:
How to Win the Shadow War With Russia
NATO must escalate to de-escalate.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:22 PM
Read @samagreene.bsky.social and Christopher Walker on how NATO can prevent Russia’s shadow attacks from spiraling into all-out war:
To share in the benefits of the AI revolution, middle powers “must secure access to frontier AI capabilities and find an economic foothold in the emerging AI order,” write @samwl.bsky.social and Anton Leicht.
The AI Divide
How U.S.-Chinese competition could leave most countries behind.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:01 PM
To share in the benefits of the AI revolution, middle powers “must secure access to frontier AI capabilities and find an economic foothold in the emerging AI order,” write @samwl.bsky.social and Anton Leicht.
“Stopping the rise of authoritarianism today will require the United States and its allies around the world to mitigate the causes of humiliation and status anxiety,” argues @benjamincarterhett.bsky.social.
The Power of Grievance
What history reveals about authoritarianism’s animating force.
fam.ag
February 10, 2026 at 7:12 PM
“Stopping the rise of authoritarianism today will require the United States and its allies around the world to mitigate the causes of humiliation and status anxiety,” argues @benjamincarterhett.bsky.social.
“The United States cannot simply expect that China and its authoritarian regime will follow the Soviets into history’s dustbin,” writes @proflind.bsky.social.
China’s Smart Authoritarianism
How the CCP balances control and innovation.
fam.ag
February 10, 2026 at 5:22 PM
“The United States cannot simply expect that China and its authoritarian regime will follow the Soviets into history’s dustbin,” writes @proflind.bsky.social.
China’s new growth model is delaying the country’s pivot toward consumption—and threatening the prosperity of other countries trying to “find their place in the global economy,” writes Dinny McMahon.
Beijing’s Growth Model Is Still Broken
And it’s hurting China and the rest of the world.
fam.ag
February 9, 2026 at 9:14 PM
China’s new growth model is delaying the country’s pivot toward consumption—and threatening the prosperity of other countries trying to “find their place in the global economy,” writes Dinny McMahon.
“U.S. officials have discarded the idea of legal constraints altogether,” write @oonahathaway.bsky.social and @scottjshapiro.bsky.social. “There is no real argument to defend the government’s behavior. No pretense. No attempt to persuade.”
A World Without Rules
The consequences of Trump’s assault on international law.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:06 PM
“U.S. officials have discarded the idea of legal constraints altogether,” write @oonahathaway.bsky.social and @scottjshapiro.bsky.social. “There is no real argument to defend the government’s behavior. No pretense. No attempt to persuade.”
Despite Japan’s growing capabilities, it is not the right time for the United States to withdraw from the Indo-Pacific, argue Dan Blumenthal, Mike Kuiken, and Randy Schriver. Instead, Washington should strengthen the U.S.-Japanese alliance.
Japan Can’t Go It Alone
Tokyo has stepped up on China—now it’s Washington’s turn .
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Despite Japan’s growing capabilities, it is not the right time for the United States to withdraw from the Indo-Pacific, argue Dan Blumenthal, Mike Kuiken, and Randy Schriver. Instead, Washington should strengthen the U.S.-Japanese alliance.
“The most effective way European states can defend themselves without Washington’s backing is to integrate their defense efforts,” writes @maxbergmann.bsky.social. “It is time for the EU to become Europe’s Pentagon.”
Europe Needs an Army
Only collective defense can protect the continent.
fam.ag
February 9, 2026 at 4:41 PM
“The most effective way European states can defend themselves without Washington’s backing is to integrate their defense efforts,” writes @maxbergmann.bsky.social. “It is time for the EU to become Europe’s Pentagon.”
Listen to the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” featuring Finnish President Alexander Stubb on today’s geopolitical challenges and the future of the rules-based global order: https://fam.ag/45MbjDN
February 8, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Listen to the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” featuring Finnish President Alexander Stubb on today’s geopolitical challenges and the future of the rules-based global order: https://fam.ag/45MbjDN
“German rearmament could very well yield a Europe that is more divided, mistrustful, and weaker,” warns @lianafix.bsky.social.
Europe’s Next Hegemon
The perils of German power.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:26 PM
“German rearmament could very well yield a Europe that is more divided, mistrustful, and weaker,” warns @lianafix.bsky.social.
Any agreement to end the war in Ukraine should “include security measures that, in the case of a violation, would be invoked rapidly and independently,” argued Tetiana Kyselova and Yuna Potomkina in a 2025 essay.
How Not to End the War in Ukraine
Past failures make clear that an imposed peace won’t last.
fam.ag
February 7, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Any agreement to end the war in Ukraine should “include security measures that, in the case of a violation, would be invoked rapidly and independently,” argued Tetiana Kyselova and Yuna Potomkina in a 2025 essay.
The nature of global conflict is changing, and the United States needs to adapt to this new reality, writes Alexander Noyes. To do so, Washington “must close the seam between national security and daily life.”
Total Defense for an Era of Total War
How to protect the vulnerable American home front.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:24 PM
The nature of global conflict is changing, and the United States needs to adapt to this new reality, writes Alexander Noyes. To do so, Washington “must close the seam between national security and daily life.”
The AI race may not have a clear winner, writes Colin Kahl. Instead, Washington and Beijing could “emerge as leaders in different parts of the AI ecosystem.”
The Myth of the AI Race
Neither America nor China can achieve true tech dominance.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 6, 2026 at 6:41 PM
The AI race may not have a clear winner, writes Colin Kahl. Instead, Washington and Beijing could “emerge as leaders in different parts of the AI ecosystem.”
The feud between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is unlikely to escalate into a direct conflict, but it could still undermine stability in the Gulf and beyond, writes @jpanikoff.bsky.social.
The Real Risks of the Saudi-UAE Feud
Regional rivalry will raise tensions far beyond the Gulf.
fam.ag
February 6, 2026 at 5:21 PM
The feud between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is unlikely to escalate into a direct conflict, but it could still undermine stability in the Gulf and beyond, writes @jpanikoff.bsky.social.
Jeffrey Friedman argues that “history offers some guideposts” for predicting how Trump’s military interventions, including the one in Venezuela, will shape his approval ratings—and his legacy.
Strength Over Peace
Venezuela, Iran, and the dicey politics of military intervention.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 5, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Jeffrey Friedman argues that “history offers some guideposts” for predicting how Trump’s military interventions, including the one in Venezuela, will shape his approval ratings—and his legacy.
“Russia is neither invincible nor surging ahead,” write Michael Kimmage and @hannanotte.bsky.social. “It is merely one of many countries disadvantaged by the anarchic world order Trump has unleashed in his second term.”
The Limits of Russian Power
Why Putin isn’t thriving in Trump’s anarchic world.
www.foreignaffairs.com
February 5, 2026 at 9:22 PM
“Russia is neither invincible nor surging ahead,” write Michael Kimmage and @hannanotte.bsky.social. “It is merely one of many countries disadvantaged by the anarchic world order Trump has unleashed in his second term.”