Deep Dish: The Russia-Ukraine Clash Reveals Putin's Mediterranean Strategy

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a "frozen conflict," but Russia recently seized three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait to the Black Sea.

This Week's Reads: The Foreign Policy Genius of George H.W. Bush

President George H.W. Bush reimagined the way the US government created and implemented its foreign policy, writes Council President Ivo Daalder in Foreign Affairs. 

Podium Notes: Happy Birthday Illinois

Illinois has had an outsize influence on the world, and on the occasion of the bicentennial it seems worthy of a recap.

This Week's Reads: May's Brexit Deal Might Bring Another Referendum

"The European Union and United Kingdom have agreed to the terms of their divorce," writes Council President Ivo Daalder, as he outlines how May's deal might actually result in a second referendum to keep Britain in the European Union. 

Deep Dish: Brexit Heads to Parliament

Now that EU leaders have accepted the Brexit deal, it's up to Parliament to decide what happens next. Rory Stewart and Sebastian Mallaby join Phil Levy to discuss.

#AskIvo: Why Is Putin Moving Against Ukraine?

A recent naval clash in the Sea of Azov has increased tensions between Ukraine and Russia. But what is Russian President Vladimir Putin's objective? 

Global Cities in the International System: A New Era of Governance

Nation-states need quickly to realize the potential of global cities, and take steps to empower them to meet the global challenges of the twenty-first century. They should allow them more fiscal autonomy and give them a louder, more influential voice in the deliberations of international organizations.

It's Time for Cities to Flex Their Soft Power

Deep Dish: Stephen Walt’s Guide to Realism

US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War has been a resounding failure, argues Stephen M. Walt in his new book “The Hell of Good Intentions.”

This Week's Reads: The US-China Collision at APEC

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit became a flashpoint in what's now the most significant great power clash since the end of the Cold War. “China and the United States hijacked the APEC spirit,” one diplomat said.

This Week's Reads - A Return to the Interwar Era

French President Emmanuel Macron's speech Sunday sounded more like desperation than hope, afraid that we may have already turned the corner into a world full of nationalism, populism, and competition.

Deep Dish: The 'Doom Loop' Potential of Italy's Eurozone Clash

Italy and the European Union are deadlocked over Rome's budget, threatening a "doom loop" that could consume Italy's economy, the eurozone, and perhaps global markets.

#AskIvo: Is the United States a Viable Mediator between Israelis and Palestinians?

Council President Ivo Daalder answers a question on whether President Donald Trump can make the "ultimate deal" and bring peace to the Middle East.

World War I and the Long Decline of US Isolationism

As the world marks 100 years since the end of World War I, the American public of 2018 looks ever more distant from the isolationism that was rising in the American public of 1918.

Podium Notes: Stoking Brexit From the Council

With Brexit drawing near, this an important moment to note that the Chicago Council on Global Affairs has not been a passive observer of the awkward association between Britain and Europe. On three separate occasions, at critical moments in the UK's relationship with Europe, the Council provided a platform for leading Conservative Party politicians to make waves from across the ocean. From the Council's archive emerges a curious tale of treachery, tantrums, angry editors, and airport pizza.