Atlantic Council
John Herbst is director of the Atlantic Council's Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center. He is a former ambassador to Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
For 31 years Herbst served as a foreign service officer in the State Department, including as ambassador to Ukraine (2003-2006) and to Uzbekistan (2000-2003).
The summit within the summit After warm greetings in public, Presidents Trump and Putin were behind closed doors for more than two hours today in Hamburg, Germany. For the moment, their meeting has overshadowed the larger G-20 summit, as protesters stormed local police in the streets of the city. Mr. Trump’s aides said he had “no agenda,” but Secretary of State Tillerson says he began with Russia’s meddling in America’s election. Putin denied it. With US-Russian relations at their lowest point in decades, is there any chance of a rapprochement? Is that in America’s interests?
The US and Russia: Frenemies in the Middle East The US and Russia both claim to be fighting ISIS militants in Syria, but their ultimate goals are not the same. Russia supports the Assad regime, while the US is backing rebels in Syria's civil war. The US views Iran as a hostile power, while Russia calls it a partner. As they try to avoid major conflict, tensions grow hot and cold — heating up recently with airstrikes against controversial targets. Meantime, the Trump White House is divided over what the Pentagon should do. We update politics, diplomacy and the military options.
Is a ‘Red State Democrat’ Even a Democrat? Democrats and progressives were scratching their heads last week when West Virginia’s senator broke with the Democratic Party. We get their reaction.
KCRW Selects: Don’t @ Me 2 KCRW’s Bob Carlson presents another peek into Don’t @ Me – a new show hosted by Dear White People’s Justin Simien.