World Review with Ivo Daalder

President Trump’s decision to step back from peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin has rattled NATO allies and raised fears of weakening Western unity. Critics warn the move emboldens Moscow, while Trump touts future trade with Russia. Meanwhile, in Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te marked his first year by calling for dialogue with China while pledging to bo...

This week, President Trump’s whirlwind tour of the Middle East sees him striking arms deals and declaring an end to nation-building, even as he engages in tense discussions with former jihadist-turned-Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara. Meanwhile, in Istanbul, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators prepare for th...

This week, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visits Moscow for a Victory Day parade and meetings meant to showcase and strengthen a strategic alliance. Both Xi and Russian President Putin have taken aim at US economic and military policies and are presenting themselves as a counterbalance to Western influence. Meanwhile, India launches airstrikes against Pakistani targets after a deadly Kashmir attack, prompting Pakistan to down multiple I...

This week marks the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term. From dismantling key alliances and trade agreements to sidelining democratic values and global institutions, are Trump's actions rapidly unraveling the post-WWII world order and 80 years of American-led international leadership? What does this mean for US influence, global stability, and the trust of allies? Stefanie Bolzen, Bobby Ghosh, an...

This week, after President Trump floated a plan for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, Moscow launched its deadliest strike on Kyiv since last summer. While the attack drew rare criticism from Trump, the administration has offered Kyiv only vague assurances about the country’s future security under the proposed plan that was presented as an ultimatum. Meanwhile, a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed ...

This week, the Trump administration quietly eased tariffs on a wide range of Chinese goods, a move critics say exposes weakness in the US trade war stance. Meanwhile, President Trump has refused to secure the return of Kilmar Ábrego García, who was unlawfully deported to a prison in El Salvador, escalating showdown between the president and the judiciary. And in Berlin, Germany’s new coalition government is already on shaky ground,...

A dramatic escalation in the US-China trade war sent markets reeling this week and raised fears of a prolonged economic standoff between the world’s two largest economies. Both sides seem to be playing a game of chicken, unveiling new rounds of retaliatory tariffs almost daily. And American businesses and consumers, as well as American allies and trading partners, are struggling with tariff whiplash, wonderi...

President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement on Thursday sent shockwaves through global markets and sparked promises of retaliation from both adversaries and allies. And earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to Asia signaled a shift in US military strategy, with key meetings in Japan and the Philippines that could reshape alliances in the region. Meanwhile, in France, the political landscape was th...

This week, news that top Trump administration officials discussed operational details of a US attack on the Houthis in an unsecure Signal group chat raised profound questions about the administration’s security procedures, as well as demonstrating what those officials really think about Europe. Meanwhile, the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul and presidential candidate of Turkey’s main opposition p...

This week, Germany bets big on its future as parliament approves Friedrich Merz’s bold €1 trillion push for defense and infrastructure, shattering borrowing limits to counter Russia and cut reliance on the US. Is the debt gamble worth it? In the Middle East, Israel’s renewed assault on Gaza shatters a fragile ceasefire, killing more than 400 and igniting protests in Jerusalem. Political maneuver or military ...

This week Russia hints at openness to a cease-fire in Ukraine but with tough conditions—stalling tactic or real breakthrough? Meanwhile, European allies increasingly see President Trump as a growing security threat, raising questions about reliance on the US and the impact on nuclear deterrence. And a judge rules President Trump overstepped by freezing USAID funds but stops short of ordering the revival of c...

This week before delivering his address to Congress, President Trump sparked a trade war with America’s three largest trading partners—Canada, Mexico, and China—triggering swift retaliatory tariffs and rattling global markets. Meanwhile, during China’s National People’s Congress annual meeting, Premier Li Qiang announced increased defense spending, reaffirmed Taiwan reunification plans, and declared readines...

The center barely held in Germany, as Germany moved sharply to the extremes, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) doubling its support in just four years. Can Germany retake the lead in Europe, which is now more urgent than ever? Meanwhile, President Trump continued to walk away from Ukraine, siding with Russia at the UN and forcing Kyiv into signing a mineral agreement for little in return. How ...

US and Russian negotiators met in Saudi Arabia this week and, in a stunning reset, agreed to re-establish normal relations and work together to end the Ukraine war. Meanwhile, from Mar-a-Lago President Trump blamed Ukraine for the war and called President Volodymyr Zelensky “a dictator.” What does this shift mean for Ukraine, NATO, and US security commitments? Then, we examine Arab states’ alternate plans fo...

As world leaders gather in Munich this week for their annual security conference, Ukraine will once again take center stage – though mainly because of the two people who won’t be there. Presidents Trump and Putin discussed the war and committed to work towards peace in a phone call, but didn’t commit to involving Ukraine in the talks. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told his counterparts in Brussel...

President Trump’s proposal for US control of Gaza and relocating its population sparked global backlash this week and was deemed unrealistic and illegal. Top administration officials are now walking back elements of the proposal, insisting US troops won’t be used to clear the territory and relocation would be temporary. Is this just another Trump negotiation tactic as some have suggested? Meanwhile, the admi...

Donald Trump’s first week in office has ushered in a new era in America’s relationship with the world. Pax Americana out; Great Power Competition is in. Whether it is buying Greenland, controlling Panama, threatening tariffs on Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and China, Trump wields American power to get what he wants. That creates both new opportunities. And new dangers. James Lindsay of the Council on Foreign Relations and Matt Kaminsk...

On Monday, European leaders watched the inauguration of President Trump from Davos and fretted about his threats to impose sweeping tariffs, his demands for significant increases in European defense spending, and the possibility he may shift America’s stance toward Ukraine. He already has followed through on withdrawing from the Paris climate agreements and the World Health Organization. Soon after the inaug...

President Biden entered office with ambitious foreign policy goals and is leaving a complicated legacy. Though he navigated the global COVID-19 pandemic, rallied allies to support Ukraine, and implemented policies to address climate change, challenges such as the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, record illegal border crossings, the war in Gaza, and high inflation marred his term. The Gaza cease-fire that look...