The Global Think Tank
The Rules of the Brave New Cyberworld
William J. Burns and Jared Cohen argue that traditional concepts and tools of statecraft must continue to adapt to remain relevant in the digital age.
Trump and Russia: The Right Way to Manage Relations
Eugene Rumer, Richard Sokolsky, and Andrew S. Weiss observe that the challenge facing the new U.S. administration is to skillfully manage, rather than permanently resolve, current tensions with Moscow.
Commentary and Analysis
India’s Trade Policy Dilemma and the Role of Domestic Reform
paper | Hardeep S. Puri asserts that if India is to become a major trading nation, it must adopt a positive trade policy agenda, adjust to global trade standards, and boost its manufacturing sector.
Conflict and Commonality Between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping
Financial Times | Yukon Huang notes that the similar nationalist and populist approaches of U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may increase the potential for conflict between the two countries.
With Abe Visit, Trump and the United States Need to Get to What Counts With Japan
Hill | James L. Schoff says that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump must leverage the full range of bilateral cooperation—defense, diplomacy, technology, and investment—to further their broader national strategies.
Intelligence Sharing With Russia: A Practitioner’s Perspective
task force white paper | Steven L. Hall explains that although meaningful intelligence sharing between the United States and Russia is not impossible in theory, such collaboration tends to pose greater risks than gains for Washington.
How Democracies Lose in Cyberwar
Atlantic | Moisés Naím finds that Western democracies like the United States are particularly susceptible to asymmetric cyberwar, which uses the Internet and other cybertools to weaken institutions that are critical to well-functioning democratic governments.
End Game for the Syrian Opposition
Al Hayat | Yezid Sayigh explores the two choices facing Syria’s opposition as the conflict enters its final phase: being destroyed through all-out confrontation, or being reincorporated into central state structures controlled by Bashar al-Assad’s regime. | ????
Lund | The Jihadi Spiral | ????
Strategic Europe | Judy Dempsey argues that spending more on defense would boost NATO’s capabilities and reputation but would not address the alliance’s real weakness—its loss of institutional memory related to collective defense and deterrence.
Dempsey | Live From the Munich Security Conference
A Look at Why “Crime Pays” in Indian Politics
NPR | Milan Vaishnav examines why voters view strongmen as saviors when governments cannot carry out their sovereign responsibilities effectively and when societies are deeply divided along ethnic lines.
How Trump Can Take on Iran (Without Sparking War)
National Interest | Richard Sokolsky and Aaron Miller warn that Iran is a major power in the Middle East and that it would likely be difficult for the United States to contain Iran’s regional influence at a cost Washington is willing to pay.