International Relations

Stephen Walt explains why Putin understood that Ukraine's fate was more important to Russia than it was to the West.

Stephen Walt argues that states that can attract and retain allies are more likely to succeed than those whose actions cause others to join forces against them.

Stephen Walt enumerates five lessons that leaders and publics around the world might learn after a year of war in Ukraine.

Mina Pollmann details how Tokyo continues to try to keep relations with Beijing stable even as it deepens military cooperation with NATO and other partners.

Joseph Nye argues that in the face of the threats posed by China, Russia, and North Korea, Japan's self-defense depends more than ever on the strength of its alliances. By significantly increasing its own defense spending and pursuing closer military cooperation with the United States, the current government is moving in the right direction.

 Stephen Walt decided to look back to see if 2022 had gone according to his expectations. In his last column of 2021, he had described "Biden’s 2022 Foreign-Policy To-Do List." What did he get right, what did he get wrong, and how well did the Biden administration perform?

Stephen Walt provides A realist POV on the war in Ukraine, competition with China, COVID, and more in the second part of an interview with Foreign Policy Editor-in-Chief Ravi Agrawal.

Stephen Walt explains why the tragic deaths in Poland from an errant missile highlight why ending the war in Ukraine is desirable and why it faces enormous obstacles.

Joseph Nye analyzes the causes of Russia's decision to invade Ukraine.

The collective West is right to take Putin’s nuclear threats seriously, but efforts to dissuade him require the pro-active involvement of China and India.