Nuclear Issues

6 Items

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. delivers remarks at the State Department

State Department Photo by Freddie Everett

Analysis & Opinions - PRI's The World

Biden's reentry on the foreign policy stage

| Feb. 25, 2021

The first 100 days are key to understanding where any presidency is going. Now more than a third of the way into that timeframe, how is President Joe Biden doing in the international policy arena? The World’s host Marco Werman speaks with Nicholas Burns, a former US under secretary of state for political affairs and a former ambassador to NATO.

Joseph Nye

Martha Stewart

Audio - Harvard Magazine

How Do Past Presidents Rank in Foreign Policy?

| Mar. 02, 2020

How do presidents incorporate morality into decisions involving the national interest? Moral considerations explain why Truman, who authorized the use of nuclear weapons in Japan during World War II, later refused General MacArthur's request to use them in China during the Korean War. What is contextual intelligence, and how does it explain why Bush 41 is ranked first in foreign policy, but Bush 43 is found wanting? Is it possible for a president to lie in the service of the public interest? In this episode, Professor Joseph S. Nye considers these questions as he explores the role of morality in presidential decision-making from FDR to Trump.

Professor Nicholas Burns, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Ambassador Susan Thornton at the JFK Jr Forum

Martha Stewart

Analysis & Opinions

Conversations in Diplomacy: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Ambassador Susan Thornton

| Oct. 22, 2018

In this installment of “Conversations in Diplomacy," the Future of Diplomacy Project's Faculty Chair Nicholas Burns is joined by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Ambassador Susan Thornton, former Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, for a conversation on the current situation on the Korean peninsula and prospects for a peaceful denuclearization.

East West Institute Logo

East West Institute

Analysis & Opinions

Nicholas Burns: A Changing U.S. Foreign Policy

| Mar. 27, 2018

Staffing gaps and significant personnel changes at the State Department have raised concerns about the direction of U.S. foreign policy, especially amid public statements by President Donald Trump concerning American alliances and positions on issues around the world. Ambassador Cameron Munter invites Ambassador Nicholas Burns to share his insights and ideas, including on timely topics such as the U.S.-Russia relationship following the re-election of Vladimir Putin, Transatlantic relations and changing perceptions about the future role of NATO, and a possible meeting between President Trump and his North Korean counterpart on nuclear nonproliferation and security.

Audio - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Jake Sullivan on Office Hours Podcast

| Nov. 01, 2017

Jake Sullivan, former Director of the Policy Planning Office at the U.S. State Department and former National Security Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, talks with Aroop Mukharji (@aroopmukharji) about the secret negotiations behind the Iran nuclear deal, long-term policy planning at the State Department, and how to stay sharp on a demanding travel schedule.

News - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

New Book by Graham Allison and Robert Blackwill Explores Global Insights of “Grand Master” Lee Kuan Yew

| February 1, 2013

When Lee Kuan Yew speaks, who listens? Presidents, prime ministers, chief executives, and all who care about global strategy.

Graham Allison and Robert D. Blackwill, two leading strategic thinkers, asked Lee Kuan Yew the toughest questions that matter most to thoughtful Americans weighing the challenges of the next quarter century. The result is their new book, Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master’s Insights on China, the United States, and the World – published today by MIT Press.