Council on Foreign Relations

Debris is left along Bourbon Street after a pickup truck was driven into a large crowd in the French Quarter of New Orleans

New Year’s celebrations turn to horror as death toll rises in New Orleans attack

By Laura Barrón-López, Azhar Merchant, Courtney Norris, Dan Sagalyn, Ryan Connelly Holmes

A cross and a destroyed dome of a local church damaged by shelling are seen on a road, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the settlement of Hostomel, outside Kyiv, Ukraine April 6, 2022. Photo by Vladyslav Musiienko/REUTERS

Could Russia be held accountable for war crimes in Ukraine?

Countries including the United States are ramping up calls for war crimes investigations following an apparent massacre in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. Could Russian leaders be brought to justice under international law?…

By David J. Scheffer, Council on Foreign Relations

File photo of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev (left) and U.S. President Ronald Reagan signing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty at the White House on Dec. 8, 1987. Photo by Reuters stringer

What happens to global stability if Trump leaves an arms treaty with Russia?

A landmark arms control agreement concluded between the United States and the Soviet Union in the final years of the Cold War is at risk of unraveling amid mutual suspicions.

By Ankit Panda, Council on Foreign Relations

NATO leaders pose for a photo at the start of the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium on July 11. Photo by Yves Herman/Reuters

What is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?

NATO is girding up for what some believe is a new Cold War with Russia, but President Donald Trump’s criticism of longtime allies has unsettled the 29-member bloc. The Council on Foreign Relations explains in this backgrounder.

By Jonathan Masters, Council on Foreign Relations

A Chinese engineer and a local construction worker build a section of the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Emali, Kenya on Oct. 10, 2015. Photo by Noor Khamis/Reuters

China’s growing activity in Africa raises some policy questions

China has become Africa’s largest trade partner and has greatly expanded its economic ties to the continent, but its growing activities there have raised questions about its noninterference policy.

By Eleanor Albert, Council on Foreign Relations

Here’s what you need to know about Italy’s 2018 elections

By James McBride, Council on Foreign Relations

Italy’s elections will shape the country’s response to economic stagnation, migration woes, and European integration, with repercussions across the continent.

Can a ballistic missile defense system shield Guam from North Korea?

By Ankit Panda, Council on Foreign Relations

Attempts by the United States and Japan to intercept North Korean ballistic missiles headed toward Guam could fail and undermine the credibility of missile defense.

Analysis: In Kenya, uneasy stalemate follows election

By John Campbell, Council on Foreign Relations

The opposition leader’s challenge to incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta’s election victory risks undermining democracy in East Africa’s economic hub.

Column: Trump’s plan for Afghanistan isn’t fresh, and here’s why

By Max Boot, Council on Foreign Relations

President Trump’s much-anticipated Afghan policy rightly avoids troop withdrawal timelines but offers little prospect for progress against the durable Taliban, says analyst Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations.

What are economic sanctions?

By Jonathan Masters, Council on Foreign Relations

For many foreign policymakers, economic sanctions have become the tool of choice to respond to major geopolitical challenges, from counterterrorism to conflict resolution.