Essays
Responding to Russia
Why Sanctions Matter

They hurt the Kremlin a lot more than most Western analysts appreciate.

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European Disunion
They’ll Be Back

Amidst a bitter internal fight, Germany’s AfD may be staggering, but it isn’t down for the count.

ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images
Sovereignty Redux
Germany and the Return of a Europe of Nations

The growth of “populism” in European politics is better described as a response by Europe’s populations to Germany’s increasingly dominant position on the Continent.

Science Says
One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

What a leaked report on climate science tells us about the link between extreme weather and climate change.

ABBAS MOMANI/AFP/Getty Images
Israel-Palestine
The End of the Abbas Era

The aging leader tried to capitalize on his people’s unrest by taking unprecedented steps against Israel. Instead, he may have just made the argument against his rule even stronger.

ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images
Rouhani’s Road to Ruin

If history is any indicator, then an escalating rift between Iran’s Supreme Leader and its recently reelected President will end up bolstering Khamenei and his allies at the expense of Rouhani.

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Sticks and Stones
The Right Nightmare

The war of words between Trump and Kim Jong-un isn’t the nightmare that should keep you up at night.

Religion in the Public Square
When Church and State Are Anything but Separate

Belief is not simply a quaint feature of the human condition but a complex operating system that holds the key to understanding the Middle East.

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images
Back to Basics
A Teachable Moment

The Trump presidency is giving Americans a crash course in civics. Are we capable of sharing the lessons with the world?

Reminder
How Obama’s Weakness Encouraged Russian Election Meddling

From the mysterious death of Mikhail Lesin in Washington DC to the assault on an American in front of our embassy in Moscow, President Obama was very careful in calibrating his responses to Russian provocations throughout 2016. Too careful.

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