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FP’s Winter 2026 Print Magazine: The World Minus One
foreignpolicy.com
The United States is still the most economically and militarily powerful country in the world. But it is becoming absent from, if not actively hostile toward, the existing international order.
Read FP’s new print issue, The World Minus One, here: foreignpolicy.com/the-magazine...
Read FP’s new print issue, The World Minus One, here: foreignpolicy.com/the-magazine...
World Brief: Iran escalates its crackdown on protesters, the Trump administration ramps up its pressure campaign on the Federal Reserve, and the world’s top court hears a landmark genocide case against Myanmar. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/12/i...
Iran Escalates Protest Crackdown but Says Open to U.S. Talks
“We are not looking for war, but we are prepared for war,” Iran’s foreign minister warned.
foreignpolicy.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:30 AM
World Brief: Iran escalates its crackdown on protesters, the Trump administration ramps up its pressure campaign on the Federal Reserve, and the world’s top court hears a landmark genocide case against Myanmar. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/12/i...
Since its creation in 1913, the Fed has enjoyed formal independence from political interference. That may be coming to an end.
Trump and the Fed Are Now at War
The White House risks gutting the independence of the world’s most important central bank in its quest for cheap money.
foreignpolicy.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Since its creation in 1913, the Fed has enjoyed formal independence from political interference. That may be coming to an end.
EU policymakers may want to consider some possible wild-card scenarios for trans-Atlantic relations this year, columnist @agathedemarais.bsky.social writes.
Trump’s Three Options to Turn the Screws on Europe
As the trade imbalance widens, European leaders need to prepare for likely retaliation.
foreignpolicy.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:30 PM
EU policymakers may want to consider some possible wild-card scenarios for trans-Atlantic relations this year, columnist @agathedemarais.bsky.social writes.
Washington's new tool of statecraft is a $200 billion checkbook.
America's War Chest in Waiting
Washington's new tool of statecraft is a $200 billion checkbook.
foreignpolicy.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Washington's new tool of statecraft is a $200 billion checkbook.
Granting the military regime the political recognition it craves would not serve Washington’s long-term interests or those of the people of Myanmar, writes Hunter Marston.
A Rigged Election Is No Reason to Reengage Myanmar
Washington’s outreach to Myanmar’s junta is shortsighted.
foreignpolicy.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Granting the military regime the political recognition it craves would not serve Washington’s long-term interests or those of the people of Myanmar, writes Hunter Marston.
Economics columnist Adam Tooze discusses the possible motivations for Trump’s incursion in Venezuela.
Why Oil Doesn’t Explain Trump’s Venezuela Gambit
The “Donroe Doctrine” is about the spectacle of violence.
foreignpolicy.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Economics columnist Adam Tooze discusses the possible motivations for Trump’s incursion in Venezuela.
The Trump administration’s mix of aggression and withdrawal could permanently transform the institution that Washington once championed.
2026 Is Already Challenging the U.N.
The Trump administration’s mix of aggression and withdrawal is testing the international body.
foreignpolicy.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:30 PM
The Trump administration’s mix of aggression and withdrawal could permanently transform the institution that Washington once championed.
Russia has long used a skewed interpretation of history as a weapon to attack and delegitimize its neighbors, and it now has Finland in its gunsights, writes Edward Lucas.
Russia’s Threats Against Finland Are Disturbingly Familiar
Echoing its anti-Ukraine propaganda, the Kremlin is wielding history in a psychological war.
foreignpolicy.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Russia has long used a skewed interpretation of history as a weapon to attack and delegitimize its neighbors, and it now has Finland in its gunsights, writes Edward Lucas.
Beijing’s quiet divorce from its long-held denuclearization aim reflects new calculations regarding regional instability, regime collapse, and the potential loss of strategic ground to the United States.
China’s Quiet Retreat From North Korean Denuclearization
How Beijing’s gamble could backfire.
foreignpolicy.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Beijing’s quiet divorce from its long-held denuclearization aim reflects new calculations regarding regional instability, regime collapse, and the potential loss of strategic ground to the United States.
Greenland may not be the rare-earth mother lode that some U.S. officials think.
Greenland’s Rare Earths Aren’t All That
The island may not be the treasure trove that some U.S. officials think.
foreignpolicy.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Greenland may not be the rare-earth mother lode that some U.S. officials think.
Trump’s oft-repeated 2024 campaign promise of “no new wars” has repeatedly been blown out of the water, and the U.S. president is now calling for a significantly bigger war chest, write FP’s @iyengarish.bsky.social and @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social.
Trump’s Imperialist Military
‘America First’ is starting to look like ‘America Everywhere.’
foreignpolicy.com
January 11, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Trump’s oft-repeated 2024 campaign promise of “no new wars” has repeatedly been blown out of the water, and the U.S. president is now calling for a significantly bigger war chest, write FP’s @iyengarish.bsky.social and @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social.
If Washington fails to address Seoul’s security concerns, South Korea may choose to develop its own nuclear arsenal, Lami Kim writes.
South Korea’s Nuclear Latency May Be Washington’s Least Bad Option
With U.S. extended deterrence under strain, managing Seoul’s nuclear hedging may be safer than trying to stop it.
foreignpolicy.com
January 11, 2026 at 12:30 PM
If Washington fails to address Seoul’s security concerns, South Korea may choose to develop its own nuclear arsenal, Lami Kim writes.
True to current political division in the region, Latin American leaders issued a range of responses to the Maduro raid.
How Will Latin America Move Forward From the Maduro Raid?
No one in the region is saying “TACO” now.
foreignpolicy.com
January 11, 2026 at 12:30 AM
True to current political division in the region, Latin American leaders issued a range of responses to the Maduro raid.
Maduro was indicted on four counts: narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
What We Know and Don’t Know About the Legal Case Against Maduro
The case is poised to be long and complicated.
foreignpolicy.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Maduro was indicted on four counts: narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
As much as Beijing wants to grow consumption at home, Chinese leaders may not be willing to act on the scale necessary to make it a reality.
Can Xi Jinping Make China Spend?
The leadership knows lack of domestic demand is a problem—but may not have the tools to fix it.
foreignpolicy.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:30 PM
As much as Beijing wants to grow consumption at home, Chinese leaders may not be willing to act on the scale necessary to make it a reality.
Alireza Nader and Nik Kowsar analyze the bazaar politics driving Iran’s largest protest movement since 2022.
Iran’s Currency Crisis Could Be the Regime’s Downfall
Economic disaster has put vast crowds in Tehran’s streets.
foreignpolicy.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Alireza Nader and Nik Kowsar analyze the bazaar politics driving Iran’s largest protest movement since 2022.
Decades of offshoring, consolidation, and underinvestment have left the United States without the capacity and workforce needed for sustained military production.
How to Fix America’s Broken Arsenal
The defense establishment has severe knowledge gaps about its own, aging industrial base.
foreignpolicy.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Decades of offshoring, consolidation, and underinvestment have left the United States without the capacity and workforce needed for sustained military production.
Does the Trump administration have a “day-after” plan for Venezuela? Critics say no, but Matthew Kroenig says that the White House has a strategy in place. A former advisor to then-Sen. Marco Rubio, he will join FP Live on Jan. 12 to discuss.
Register here:
Register here:
Trump’s Venezuela Strategy
Does the Trump administration have a “day-after” plan for Venezuela? Critics say no. But in a column in Foreign Policy, Matthew Kroenig argues that a plan is coming into view. So, what will happen…
foreignpolicy.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Does the Trump administration have a “day-after” plan for Venezuela? Critics say no, but Matthew Kroenig says that the White House has a strategy in place. A former advisor to then-Sen. Marco Rubio, he will join FP Live on Jan. 12 to discuss.
Register here:
Register here:
The current U.S.-brokered cease-fire offers a unique opportunity for the Lebanese Armed Forces to assert meaningful sovereignty over their country.
Lebanon Is Disarming Hezbollah. The U.S. and Israel Can Do More to Help.
The Lebanese Armed Forces have a unique opportunity to assert meaningful sovereignty over their country.
foreignpolicy.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:30 PM
The current U.S.-brokered cease-fire offers a unique opportunity for the Lebanese Armed Forces to assert meaningful sovereignty over their country.
The United States lacks a coherent strategy for the Arctic region, and attempting to take control of Greenland is not a viable substitute for one.
Trump’s Greenland Threats Paper Over a Lack of Arctic Strategy
U.S. efforts to counter Russia and China need allies, not targets.
foreignpolicy.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:30 AM
The United States lacks a coherent strategy for the Arctic region, and attempting to take control of Greenland is not a viable substitute for one.
The Saudi move against the UAE represents not just an effort to restrain Emirati adventurism but to balance against an increasingly reckless and threatening Israel, writes Marc Lynch.
The Saudi Arabia-UAE Dispute Is About More Than Just Yemen
The divide is forcing countries across the region to take sides.
foreignpolicy.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:30 AM
The Saudi move against the UAE represents not just an effort to restrain Emirati adventurism but to balance against an increasingly reckless and threatening Israel, writes Marc Lynch.
Although the Venezuelan military has proved unable to defend the nation, it is nonetheless a key political actor, write Vasabjit Bannerjee and Maria I. Puerta Riera.
Venezuela’s Military Won’t Surrender Its Privileges Easily
Problems with the armed forces pre-date Maduro and even Chávez.
foreignpolicy.com
January 9, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Although the Venezuelan military has proved unable to defend the nation, it is nonetheless a key political actor, write Vasabjit Bannerjee and Maria I. Puerta Riera.
In a cricket-crazed region where the sport has long been a unifying force, this week’s cricket spat underscores the depth of India-Bangladesh tensions.
India-Bangladesh Tensions Reach a Fever Pitch
Cricket drama underscores the depth of the crisis, but Dhaka’s upcoming election offers a shot at a reset.
foreignpolicy.com
January 9, 2026 at 8:30 PM
In a cricket-crazed region where the sport has long been a unifying force, this week’s cricket spat underscores the depth of India-Bangladesh tensions.
Trying to run the Western Hemisphere at the point of a gun is not going to work any better in the future than it did in the past.
The ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Makes No Sense
Even a generous reading results in a heap of contradictions.
foreignpolicy.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Trying to run the Western Hemisphere at the point of a gun is not going to work any better in the future than it did in the past.
A closer look at Moscow’s military procurement decisions highlights why Europe must prepare for a campaign of sustained Russian pressure well beyond Ukraine.
Russia’s Military Procurement Is a Warning for Europe
Putin’s order books reveal plans for conflict well beyond Ukraine
foreignpolicy.com
January 9, 2026 at 4:30 PM
A closer look at Moscow’s military procurement decisions highlights why Europe must prepare for a campaign of sustained Russian pressure well beyond Ukraine.