Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The United States today faces a mounting set of global challenges that risk spiraling out of control, ranging from Ukraine to Taiwan to climate change, nuclear proliferation, and pandemics. Washington needs new habits of statecraft, the courage to make difficult trade-offs, and the wisdom to work with a diverse array of global partners. The American Statecraft Program’s Pivotal States Series examines U.S. foreign policy through the lens of key bilateral relationships, mapping the way to a foreign policy more responsive to the realities of the mid-twenty-first century.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought bilateral relations with the U.S. to their lowest point since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Yet Russia holds sway over many U.S. foreign policy priorities. How can the U.S. support European security without sacrificing its other interests?
Democracy, migration, and influence from China and Russia are among the key issues at stake.
Venezuela’s ties with traditional U.S. allies have kept the country afloat while it has destabilized Latin America and slid further into lawlessness. With U.S. sanctions likely to snap back on April 18, 2024, what can the United States reasonably do about the Venezuela problem it faces?
Both Republican and Democratic administrations have effectively followed the same blueprint.
The war in Gaza has returned Iran squarely to the center of the U.S. foreign policy debate. What is the Iranian regime hoping to achieve? What are the core interests that America needs to protect? How can Washington protect them without escalating the crisis?
The strong partnership between the United States and Vietnam is a testament to reconciliation between bitter enemies. As the United States seeks to expand its partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, what lessons should it draw from this key bilateral relationship?
U.S. domestic politics threatens cooperation on other key issues, such as fentanyl and supply-chain diversification.
The U.S.-Mexico relationship is one of the most fraught in U.S. foreign policy and one of the most critical. Numerous challenges have poisoned relations. Yet Mexico also offers an opportunity to create more resilient supply chains. Do U.S. policymakers have a strategy to address these challenges and capitalize on the opportunities Mexico provides?
Sharp geopolitical differences have brought U.S.-South Africa relations close to the breaking point. Yet the country remains a key player on the African continent. As the United States revamps its Africa strategy, should South Africa's importance outweigh its disagreements with Washington?
Poland is a critical hub for European security but faces criticism for its democratic backsliding, while its hawkish impulses diverge at times from the U.S.’s. How should the United States balance Poland’s strategic importance with its counterproductive role on other issues?