An expert's point of view on a current event.
Argument
List of Argument articles
Demonstrators hold signs in support of Ukraine during a rally in Munich. One sign reads: "Ukraine welcome in NATO."
Germany Is Failing Ukraine—and Europe
Berlin is scared of acknowledging Russia’s real threat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his confidants ahead of the upcoming presidential election in Moscow on Jan. 31.
It’s Time to Declare Putin an Illegitimate Leader
Russia’s sham elections next month—with voting on occupied Ukrainian territory—should not be recognized.
Two young children squat on the ground between rows of canvas tents, facing each other as they play in the sand. They sit in the shadows of one of the tents, but the sunlight strikes brightly on the tents beyond them.
Rapid U.S. Action Could Break the Cycle of Violence in Gaza
Washington must take creative and daring steps to mitigate human suffering and plant the seeds for a post-Hamas future.
Riot police disperse protesters in the snowy town of Baymak.
Russia’s Democratic Future Won’t Start in Moscow
Regional protests are the seedbed for change.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro greets attendees upon his arrival at the Supreme Court of Justice building for the inauguration ceremony of the judicial year in Caracas on Jan. 31.
Washington’s Ability to Pressure Maduro is Limited
Venezuela’s return to democracy will depend more on what happens inside the country than outside.
A view of a Puma fighting vehicle's cannon at a production line as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius attend the groundbreaking ceremony for a new munitions factory of German defence contractor Rheinmetall on February 12, 2024 in Unterluess, Germany.
Why Europe Can’t Get Its Military Act Together
The continent faces multiple obstacles on the way to military autonomy.
President Harry Truman delivers the closing speech at the International Organization conference before the delegates of the 5 member nations, June 26, 1945 in San Francisco.
The U.N. Should Move (Back) to California
It doesn’t make sense for the leading international organization to be in New York anymore.
A Ukrainian mother hugs her son after a bus delivering him and more than a dozen other children from Russian-held territory arrives in Kyiv on March 22, 2023.
There Must Be a Reckoning for Russian War Crimes
Systematic atrocities are integral to Moscow’s way of waging war—and should not be condoned.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and U.S. President Joe Biden chat at the ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, on June 10, 2022.
How U.S. Pressure Helped Save Brazil’s Democracy
Mounting evidence suggests Biden kept pro-Bolsonaro generals from executing a coup.
A photo collage illustration showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the white house, a soldier and phone imagery representative of communication
The Age of Intelligence Diplomacy
The Iraq War highlighted its risks. Russia’s war in Ukraine showcased its opportunities.
Women wearing headscarves and coats hold protest signs outside a brick building.
Britain Is Fighting Extremism the Wrong Way
Banning groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir is not the answer.
U.S. President Joe Biden (left) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
How the U.S. Can Rein In Israel
While calls for conditional aid are widespread, Biden may be overlooking a highly effective diplomatic tool.
People walks past traditional Russian matryoshka dolls portraying Russian and Soviet leaders (from L) Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Boris Yeltsin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Konstantin Chernenko, Vladimir Andropov, Leonid Brezhnev, Nikita Khrushchev, Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin displayed in a gift shop in downtown Moscow on Dec. 16, 2018.
Soviet Succession Was Bad. America’s Is Worse.
Authoritarian elites often botch undemocratic transitions. Choosing to return Trump to office would be an own-goal of historic proportions.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Biden’s New Plan for the Middle East Is More of the Same
A revised doctrine offers little hope for change.
Wang Yi, a middle-aged man in a suit, puts his arms behind two other men standing on either side of him, one wearing a turban and robe, and the other in a suit, in front of flags of the countries of Saudi Arabia, China, and Iran.
What the Red Sea Crisis Reveals About China’s Middle East Strategy
While China has indeed become a regional player, it is still playing a remarkably self-interested game.
A dozen or so tiny figures are scattered across a bulldozed dirt landscape, picking their way around the rubble of a leveled building in the foreground. Devastated mid-rise towers stand in ruins in the distance with their windows blown out.
The Devastation of Gaza Was Inevitable
Urban warfare has always been brutal for civilians—and the war against Hamas was destined to be an extreme case.
President Biden, dressed in a black suit, stands at a podium with an American flag behind him. To the side is a screen featuring the face and shoulders of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Does Biden Even Have a Russia Policy?
With presidential elections just weeks away, hope is not enough of a plan.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomes Argentine President Javier Milei at the Palazzo Chigi prior to their meeting in Rome.
Milei’s Swing Into Normality Might Not Last
The Argentine president’s rhetoric is bizarre—but so far, his policies aren’t.
Supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump gather near Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 21, 2023.
A Self-Absorbed America Means Disorder for the World
The dam holding back chaos in U.S. foreign policy is cracking.
Supporters of imprisoned Pakistani politician Imran Khan surge onto a street as they block a highway to protest alleged election interference. Some demonstrators wave flags or hold up their hands. In the background, colorful trucks are backed up as far as the eye can see.
Angry Young Pakistanis Give Imran Khan a Future Shot at Power
The jailed politician still stirs national pride.
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Germany Is Failing Ukraine—and Europe
Berlin is scared of acknowledging Russia’s real threat.
It’s Time to Declare Putin an Illegitimate Leader
Russia’s sham elections next month—with voting on occupied Ukrainian territory—should not be recognized.
Rapid U.S. Action Could Break the Cycle of Violence in Gaza
Washington must take creative and daring steps to mitigate human suffering and plant the seeds for a post-Hamas future.
Russia’s Democratic Future Won’t Start in Moscow
Regional protests are the seedbed for change.
Washington’s Ability to Pressure Maduro is Limited
Venezuela’s return to democracy will depend more on what happens inside the country than outside.
Why Europe Can’t Get Its Military Act Together
The continent faces multiple obstacles on the way to military autonomy.
The U.N. Should Move (Back) to California
It doesn’t make sense for the leading international organization to be in New York anymore.
There Must Be a Reckoning for Russian War Crimes
Systematic atrocities are integral to Moscow’s way of waging war—and should not be condoned.
How U.S. Pressure Helped Save Brazil’s Democracy
Mounting evidence suggests Biden kept pro-Bolsonaro generals from executing a coup.
The Age of Intelligence Diplomacy
The Iraq War highlighted its risks. Russia’s war in Ukraine showcased its opportunities.
Britain Is Fighting Extremism the Wrong Way
Banning groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir is not the answer.
How the U.S. Can Rein In Israel
While calls for conditional aid are widespread, Biden may be overlooking a highly effective diplomatic tool.
Soviet Succession Was Bad. America’s Is Worse.
Authoritarian elites often botch undemocratic transitions. Choosing to return Trump to office would be an own-goal of historic proportions.
Biden’s New Plan for the Middle East Is More of the Same
A revised doctrine offers little hope for change.
What the Red Sea Crisis Reveals About China’s Middle East Strategy
While China has indeed become a regional player, it is still playing a remarkably self-interested game.
The Devastation of Gaza Was Inevitable
Urban warfare has always been brutal for civilians—and the war against Hamas was destined to be an extreme case.
Does Biden Even Have a Russia Policy?
With presidential elections just weeks away, hope is not enough of a plan.
Milei’s Swing Into Normality Might Not Last
The Argentine president’s rhetoric is bizarre—but so far, his policies aren’t.
A Self-Absorbed America Means Disorder for the World
The dam holding back chaos in U.S. foreign policy is cracking.
Angry Young Pakistanis Give Imran Khan a Future Shot at Power
The jailed politician still stirs national pride.
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