‘Chernobyl’ Shows How the Soviets Squashed Scientists
The brutal legacy of industrialization left the “scientific-technical intelligentsia” in the cold.
Meltdown at Chernobyl
On the podcast: A journalist reconstructs the world’s worst nuclear disaster.
The U.S. Has Wasted Billions of Dollars on Failed Arab Armies
Military cooperation with Middle East allies can work—if Washington rethinks its premises.
Putin’s Public Enemy
The Kremlin is going after Russian rappers, but the government can't control a culture it doesn't understand.
The New Face of Terrorism in 2019
Forget the Middle East—it’s time to prepare for attacks from the former Soviet Union.
George H.W. Bush’s Misunderstood Presidency
The late 41st U.S. president’s prudence was once derided as the wimp factor, but it has aged well.
Ethnic Nationalism Gave Georgia Freedom. Now It Needs Civic Nationalism to Survive.
The Caucasus is a complex ethnic and religious patchwork, and only a shared identity can help Georgians push back against Putin.
What Would Reagan Do on Iran?
If Washington wants to pressure Tehran, the White House should stop alienating allies, empowering hard-liners, and harming regular Iranians.
Theresa May’s Government Is Steering Britain Toward an Iceberg
The Conservative Party's negotiating strategy is premised on telling the EU one thing and British voters another. Doublespeak won't deliver a deal; it will lead to economic and political disaster.
Thank You, Jimmy Carter
Restoring the reputation of America’s most underrated foreign-policy president.
When Ronnie Met Mikhail
On our podcast: As Trump sits down with Putin, we look back at a summit in Reykjavik that helped end the Cold War.
Putin Doesn’t Care about Sex Trafficking
Russia could have done something to prevent sexual exploitation of foreign women during the World Cup. It chose not to.
Once Upon a Time, Helsinki Meant Human Rights
Trump’s summit with Putin risks tarnishing a legacy of Republican moral leadership.
Some Summits Soar, Some Plunge
Nixon and Reagan managed to negotiate with Mao and Gorbachev because they had personal chemistry, common goals, and control of their domestic politics.
Sometimes Armenian Protests Are Just Armenian Protests
Not every post-Soviet revolution is about the geopolitics of Russia.
Putin Isn’t a Genius. He’s Leonid Brezhnev.
Why Russia’s strongman economy can’t reform.
Russia’s Clash With the West Is About Geography, Not Ideology
The Marshall Plan recognized the limits of U.S. power in Europe. To be successful, so must diplomacy with Moscow today.
America’s Military Is Choking on Old Technology
As its rivals invest in new military hardware, Washington is stuck refurbishing obsolete equipment.
WWII query: Why did France surrender so quickly while Russia held out for years?
After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.
It Is High Time to Do Away With the President’s Nuclear ‘Football’
The recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on nuclear weapons introduced some unsettling possibilities.
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