Diplomacy and International Politics

The United States is hitting Russia with new sanctions to punish President Vladimir Putin's government for using a nerve agent against a former spy and his daughter in Britain. The US State Department says the Trump Administration has determined that Russia has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, but the action comes five months after the US expelled more than 50 Russian diplomats in retaliation for the same poisoning.

Nicholas Burns tells CNNi, “There has to be a concerted response now by the West.”

Senator Angus King joins the Future of Diplomacy Project and Nicholas Burns to explain the fact of Russian interference in U.S. elections and the vulnerability of U.S. election systems to further intrusion.

North Korea’s nuclear weapons challenge is as serious a crisis an American president has faced since the end of the Cold War. That is why President Trump should tread carefully and wisely before hurtling us toward conflict in Asia.

On April 27, 2017 Professor Burns testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on further assessing options for sanctions toward Russia. 

On April 27, 2017, the COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS met in open session to conduct a hearing entitled, “Countering Russia: Further Assessing Options for Sanctions.” The witnesses were: The Honorable Nicholas Burns, Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School of Government; and Mr. Chip Poncy, President and Co-Founder, Financial Integrity Network.

The fall of Aleppo is a human catastrophe. It’s also a demonstration of the perils of choosing the middle course in a military conflict. Sometimes it’s possible to talk and fight at the same time. But in Syria, the U.S. decision to pursue a dual-track, halfway approach made the mayhem worse.

Dr. Ian Bremmer, expert in political risk and founder of the Eurasia Group, gave a seminar sponsored by the the Future of Diplomacy Project on Thursday, November 9 at the Harvard Kennedy School, titled “Managing Risk in an Unstable World."

When the cold war ended 25 years ago, Europe emerged as prosperous, democratic, united and peaceful. Today, however, it faces interlocking crises that threaten to undermine the continent’s economy and weaken the EU.

This has significant implications for the US and for its next president. Europe remains America’s largest trade partner and investor, and 25 European nations are members of Nato, its most important military alliance. As a global power, the US must interact with every major region of the world. But for all the undeniable importance of the so-called pivot to Asia, the next US president may have to focus first on Europe.