A curated selection of FP’s must-read stories.
Editors' Picks
List of Editors' Picks articles
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Former U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, nominated to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington on July 15. Mike Waltz Gears up for a New Role at the U.N.
Diplomats in New York are debating the meaning of the former national security advisor’s pledge to “make the U.N. great again.”
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A mural of Trump beside a painting of a MADE IN CHINA stamp. The U.S. Can No Longer Stave Off Competition From China
Beijing dominates global trade. But it couldn’t turn that into a geopolitical advantage—until Trump 2.0.
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Xi and Trump walk side by side. How Strong Is China’s Rare-Earth Card?
Washington is making big moves, but Beijing has a powerful hand.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) meets with U.S. President Donald Trump (L) during Pope Francis’s funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Can Trump Be Sold on Supporting Ukraine?
A changeable president seems to be turning against Putin.
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With his back turned to the camera, Trump stands points at a crowd of people wearing hard hats and reflective safety vests. Behind Trump and the crowd is a massive American flag that seems to cover an entire wall. Trump Embraces State Capitalism
The level of U.S. government economic intervention under Trump 2.0 is off the charts.
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Trump and Putin Trump’s Ukraine Shift Sends the Right Signal to Putin
But there won’t be peace without additional pressure on the Kremlin.
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U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on July 14. There’s Less to Trump’s Ukraine Shift Than Meets the Eye
Europe will buy unspecified weapons for Ukraine, and Russia gets a long reprieve from sanctions.
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The wrecked bodies of cars are strewn about a bridge beneath a hazy blue sky, some on the cracked road, others leaning on the barrier fence. Sheets of metal cover large potholes on the road. Washington Can Keep Sudan’s Civil War From Getting Worse
A concerted diplomatic push is needed to allay a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
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Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer walks past an EU flag as he arrives with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for their meeting inside 10 Downing Street, in central London, on April 24, 2025. Britain Is Failing to Become European Again
The Starmer government’s hopes of restoring relations with Europe have mostly remained just that.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a media briefing during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, on July 11. Why Rubio’s Asia Visit Was a Total Bust
ASEAN leaders will have noticed Washington’s increasing preoccupation with the Middle East and Western Hemisphere.
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A hand holds a small glass bottle. Rich Countries Stockpiling Critical Minerals Is Not a Plan
Remember the 1973 oil shock?
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A woman walks past a mural calling for the conviction of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, accused of misusing funds and conspiring to assassinate the first family, at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on June 3. The Philippines Is a Petri Dish for Chinese Disinformation
Inauthentic accounts linked to China are seizing on local political feuds.
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An up-close photo of Muhammadu Buhari speaking. Despite Good Intentions, Muhammadu Buhari Failed Nigeria
A former military dictator and late convert to democracy, Nigeria’s two-time ruler lacked the discipline to enact transformational change.
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A man rides a horse next to the remains of an Iranian missile near the Israeli settlement of Tekoa in the occupied West Bank, on June 29. Iran and the Logic of Limited Wars
No one wants a long war, and doing nothing was no longer an option.
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Lyndon Johnson stands in front a lectern with the presidential seal on it. Teleprompters are set up on either side. Behind him is a stretch of water, and beyond that, the looming high-rise buildings of the New York City skyline. How Lyndon Johnson Moved the Nation Forward on Immigration
The president beat out nativist arguments to dismantle a national quota system.