German Marshall Fund
Derek Chollet is counselor and senior advisor at the German Marshall Fund. A former Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Obama Administration, he is author The Long Game: How Obama Defied Washington and Redefined America's Role in the World.
America's foreign policy: Now you see it…now you don't… The founder of Communist China, Mao Tse Tung, was famous for unpredictability -- keeping the world off balance with unexpected contradictions. In less than 100 days, President Trump has set a new standard for American leaders, flip-flopping on Syria, NATO, China — and Vladimir Putin's Russia. Inexperience requires reliance on his advisors, so White House office politics may be more important than ever. But what does the inconsistency mean for America's strengths and weaknesses in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world?
The Trump Administration: In search for a policy in Eastern Europe Fighting has flared again in Eastern Ukraine, and NATO allies are playing military chess with Russia there, in the Balkans and in the Baltics as well. President Trump’s support for NATO — only if members "pay their fair share" — has undermined confidence in American leadership. Vladimir Putin appears to be taking advantage of local disputes as well as the uncertainty in Washington. Will the President agree to modify economic sanctions — despite opposition from powerful members of his own Republican Party?
Berlin, Ankara and the international political consequences When a lone gunman assassinated Russia's ambassador to Turkey in a shocking public display at an Ankara photo exhibit yesterday, the international consequences were immediate. Hours later a tractor trailer truck mowed down holiday revelers celebrating at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 and wounding scores more. Germany has been preparing for terror attacks like the ones that have struck in Paris and Belgium. While authorities are treating these isolated incidents as the work of terrorists, motives and details are still very unclear. One thing is certain: the perception of escalating violence could have far-reaching effects on Europe's policy on immigration, refugees and the war in Syria.
In Eastern Europe, saber rattling — or risky escalation? You'd never know it from this year's campaign, but Russia and NATO are engaged in the biggest military buildup since the Cold War. In addition to Syria and Ukraine, the next US president might be faced with Russian aggression in the Baltic States and puppets of the former Soviet Union. Vladimir Putin has deployed forces and talked about using nuclear weapons. Comparisons are being made to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. NATO has changed the name for its military buildup in the region from "reassurance" to "deterrence" and is responding with tanks and troops -- at a time when the European Union is weakened and American leadership is fraught with uncertainty.
The Obama Legacy Across the Atlantic Even before he was elected, Barack Obama became a hero in Europe with a vow of internationalism to replace the go-it-alone approach of George W. Bush. Eight years later, Obama was back in Europe this week, trying to overcome the perception that he's become disengaged . The European Union is struggling with trade, the massive influx of refugees and the threat that Britain might withdraw. We hear what could be his last message and what's next for some of America's oldest and most powerful allies.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?