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
· Oct 21
Our November/December 2025 issue is now available online. Start reading here: fam.ag/43muVNq
Read Jack Watling on how European states can strengthen Ukraine’s will to resist—and demonstrate to Moscow “that prolonging the war will only further harm Russia’s interests”:
Ukraine’s Hardest Winter
With the Donbas in peril, Europe must pressure Russia now.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Read Jack Watling on how European states can strengthen Ukraine’s will to resist—and demonstrate to Moscow “that prolonging the war will only further harm Russia’s interests”:
For U.S. sanctions against Russia to be effective, Washington must also “stem the pipeline of energy-fueled cash from Beijing to Moscow,” write Erica Downs and @richardmnephew.bsky.social.
America’s Toothless Sanctions on Russian Oil
Last month, the Trump administration imposed fresh sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, signaling a renewed desire to drive Moscow to the negotiating table in its war a...
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:06 PM
For U.S. sanctions against Russia to be effective, Washington must also “stem the pipeline of energy-fueled cash from Beijing to Moscow,” write Erica Downs and @richardmnephew.bsky.social.
@greenprofgreen.bsky.social argues that the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change “should no longer be the main institution for global climate policy”—and considers what it will take to jump-start decarbonization:
Global Climate Policy Is Broken
Fixating on emissions won’t decarbonize the world’s economy.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:00 PM
@greenprofgreen.bsky.social argues that the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change “should no longer be the main institution for global climate policy”—and considers what it will take to jump-start decarbonization:
Graham Allison and James Winnefeld, Jr. explain how the world has avoided great-power war since 1945—and examine the factors that could “bring the ongoing long peace to a close”:
The End of the Longest Peace?
One of history’s greatest achievements is under threat.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Graham Allison and James Winnefeld, Jr. explain how the world has avoided great-power war since 1945—and examine the factors that could “bring the ongoing long peace to a close”:
On the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” S. C. M. Paine argues that today’s great-power competition is just the latest example of the centuries-old tension between maritime and continental powers.
https://fam.ag/4oV6wr8
https://fam.ag/4oV6wr8
November 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM
On the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” S. C. M. Paine argues that today’s great-power competition is just the latest example of the centuries-old tension between maritime and continental powers.
https://fam.ag/4oV6wr8
https://fam.ag/4oV6wr8
Read Samuel Charap and Sergey Radchenko on an overlooked episode of the war in Ukraine—the intense diplomacy involving Moscow, Kyiv, and a host of other actors that could have resulted in a settlement just weeks after the war began:
The Talks That Could Have Ended the War in Ukraine
A hidden history of diplomacy that came up short—but holds lessons for future negotiations.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Read Samuel Charap and Sergey Radchenko on an overlooked episode of the war in Ukraine—the intense diplomacy involving Moscow, Kyiv, and a host of other actors that could have resulted in a settlement just weeks after the war began:
Escalation in Sudan is not inevitable—but ending the fighting will “require a much bigger push from the White House,” writes Alex de Waal.
Terror Returns to Darfur
Only American pressure can stop the killing in Sudan.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Escalation in Sudan is not inevitable—but ending the fighting will “require a much bigger push from the White House,” writes Alex de Waal.
Trump appears “determined to build a commercially based détente with Beijing”—a shift in U.S. policy toward China policy that is unlikely to yield success, writes Mira Rapp-Hooper.
Structure Trumps Agency in the U.S.-China Relationship
Why the competition is here to stay.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Trump appears “determined to build a commercially based détente with Beijing”—a shift in U.S. policy toward China policy that is unlikely to yield success, writes Mira Rapp-Hooper.
Read G. John Ikenberry and Harold James on how the successes and failures of past peace settlements can inform a potential agreement between Russia and Ukraine:
Would a Peace Deal in Ukraine Last?
Two centuries of history offer lessons for how to forge a durable agreement.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Read G. John Ikenberry and Harold James on how the successes and failures of past peace settlements can inform a potential agreement between Russia and Ukraine:
“Trying to force regime change through violence will ultimately undercut the goal of both the opposition and the vast majority of Venezuelans to set up a safe, stable, and law-based system to replace Maduro’s rule,” argues Phil Gunson.
The Peril of Ousting Maduro
Only a gradual transition—not regime change by corce—can restore Venezuela’s democracy.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:12 PM
“Trying to force regime change through violence will ultimately undercut the goal of both the opposition and the vast majority of Venezuelans to set up a safe, stable, and law-based system to replace Maduro’s rule,” argues Phil Gunson.
If the Trump administration ultimately leaves Maduro in place, the Venezuelan president will “emerge as the survivor who bested Trump and showed that American influence in the Western Hemisphere is limited at best,” writes Elliott Abrams.
How to Topple Maduro
And why regime change is the only way forward in Venezuela.
fam.ag
November 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM
If the Trump administration ultimately leaves Maduro in place, the Venezuelan president will “emerge as the survivor who bested Trump and showed that American influence in the Western Hemisphere is limited at best,” writes Elliott Abrams.
Although China’s relative position has “undoubtedly improved” since Trump’s reelection, Beijing is unlikely to become a global leader in soft power, argues @mariarepnikova.bsky.social.
The New Soft-Power Imbalance
China’s cautious response to America’s retreat.
fam.ag
November 20, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Although China’s relative position has “undoubtedly improved” since Trump’s reelection, Beijing is unlikely to become a global leader in soft power, argues @mariarepnikova.bsky.social.
Reposted by Foreign Affairs
My new piece @foreignaffairs.com on whether #China is stepping into the #SoftPower gap left by the US withdrawal. I argue that it is doing so reluctantly, both in terms of material and ideological diplomacy. Take a look here: www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
The New Soft-Power Imbalance
China’s cautious response to America’s retreat.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 PM
My new piece @foreignaffairs.com on whether #China is stepping into the #SoftPower gap left by the US withdrawal. I argue that it is doing so reluctantly, both in terms of material and ideological diplomacy. Take a look here: www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
African countries can amass more influence in the global economy by working together—and the continent’s largest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, “are best positioned to drive such deeper integration,” writes @amakaanku.bsky.social.
The New African Order
How Nigeria and South Africa can lead the continent to prosperity and stability.
fam.ag
November 20, 2025 at 6:51 PM
African countries can amass more influence in the global economy by working together—and the continent’s largest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, “are best positioned to drive such deeper integration,” writes @amakaanku.bsky.social.
On the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” S. C. M. Paine argues that the United States should maintain the strategies of maritime power that have served it well in the past: https://fam.ag/3X7xqje
November 20, 2025 at 4:17 PM
On the latest episode of “The Foreign Affairs Interview,” S. C. M. Paine argues that the United States should maintain the strategies of maritime power that have served it well in the past: https://fam.ag/3X7xqje
“There is a flaw in the Trump plan’s structure: it lacks a legitimate Palestinian partner,” writes Shira Efron. “Equally unclear is the question of security.”
After the Guns Fall Silent in Gaza
The tenuous cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:28 PM
“There is a flaw in the Trump plan’s structure: it lacks a legitimate Palestinian partner,” writes Shira Efron. “Equally unclear is the question of security.”
Instead of shoring up the United States’ defenses against foreign disinformation, the Trump administration is scaling them back—and “leaving the country woefully unprepared to handle AI-powered attacks,” write James Rubin and Darjan Vujica.
AI Is Supercharging Disinformation Warfare
America's defenses aren't ready for AI disinformation warfare.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Instead of shoring up the United States’ defenses against foreign disinformation, the Trump administration is scaling them back—and “leaving the country woefully unprepared to handle AI-powered attacks,” write James Rubin and Darjan Vujica.
Reposted by Foreign Affairs
Canada, Japan, and Germany should get the bomb. Selective proliferation will benefit both the United States and its allies.
My debut in @foreignaffairs.com w/ @profmarkraymond.bsky.social ⤵️
My debut in @foreignaffairs.com w/ @profmarkraymond.bsky.social ⤵️
America’s Allies Should Go Nuclear
Selective proliferation will strengthen the global order, not end it.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Canada, Japan, and Germany should get the bomb. Selective proliferation will benefit both the United States and its allies.
My debut in @foreignaffairs.com w/ @profmarkraymond.bsky.social ⤵️
My debut in @foreignaffairs.com w/ @profmarkraymond.bsky.social ⤵️
Da Wei considers how the United States and China can “move beyond an era of adversarial competition” and establish a broadly steady relationship:
America and China Can Have a Normal Relationship
How to move past strategic competition.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Da Wei considers how the United States and China can “move beyond an era of adversarial competition” and establish a broadly steady relationship:
“Were Canada, Germany, and Japan to acquire nuclear weapons, they would rebalance global military capabilities in favor of a coalition of states committed to the rules-based system,” argue Moritz Graefrath and Mark Raymond.
America’s Allies Should Go Nuclear
Selective proliferation will strengthen the global order, not end it.
fam.ag
November 19, 2025 at 3:56 PM
“Were Canada, Germany, and Japan to acquire nuclear weapons, they would rebalance global military capabilities in favor of a coalition of states committed to the rules-based system,” argue Moritz Graefrath and Mark Raymond.
“Only an international force under strong U.S. leadership can provide the security needed for effective governance, the smooth flow of humanitarian aid, and rapid reconstruction in Gaza,” argues @jpanikoff.bsky.social.
How to Solve Gaza’s Hamas Problem
Disarming the group will require Arab and Muslim forces—and strong American leadership.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:54 PM
“Only an international force under strong U.S. leadership can provide the security needed for effective governance, the smooth flow of humanitarian aid, and rapid reconstruction in Gaza,” argues @jpanikoff.bsky.social.
Read Gracia Liu-Farrer, Takeshi Miyai, and Yu Korekawa on Japan’s training-based approach to immigration, which “challenges the dominant neoliberal migration policy that so many advanced countries have long pursued”:
Japan’s Stalled Immigration Experiment
The uncertain future of a promising approach.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Read Gracia Liu-Farrer, Takeshi Miyai, and Yu Korekawa on Japan’s training-based approach to immigration, which “challenges the dominant neoliberal migration policy that so many advanced countries have long pursued”:
Trump has inadvertently created an opportunity for the BRICS to “unite and marshal their collective strength,” but the bloc is “not ready to seize the moment,” write Oliver Stuenkel and @alexgabuev.bsky.social.
BRICS Is Missing Its Chance
United by Trump’s hostility, but too divided to seize the moment.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Trump has inadvertently created an opportunity for the BRICS to “unite and marshal their collective strength,” but the bloc is “not ready to seize the moment,” write Oliver Stuenkel and @alexgabuev.bsky.social.
International relations theories “provide a means to interpret the past and the present, as well as to see into a chaotic future,” write Stacie Goddard and Josh Kertzer. “But they can also limit strategic imagination.”
How to Put IR Theory Into Practice
American strategists should think more like social scientists.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:32 PM
International relations theories “provide a means to interpret the past and the present, as well as to see into a chaotic future,” write Stacie Goddard and Josh Kertzer. “But they can also limit strategic imagination.”
“Israel cannot bomb the Middle East into a stable new order,” argues @abuaardvark.bsky.social. “Regional leadership requires more than military primacy. It also demands some degree of consent and cooperation from other regional powers.”
The Fantasy of a New Middle East
Israel cannot destroy its way to peace.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:22 PM
“Israel cannot bomb the Middle East into a stable new order,” argues @abuaardvark.bsky.social. “Regional leadership requires more than military primacy. It also demands some degree of consent and cooperation from other regional powers.”