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International Diplomacy

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The Quad: Second Verse, Same as the First?
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Jun 15, 2018
The Diplomat
Members of “the Quad” — an informal collaborative arrangement among the United States, Japan, India, and Australia — have proven incapable of adopting either a shared understanding of or unified policies toward China.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Why This Wasn't Kim's Father's—or Grandfather's—Summit
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Jun 13, 2018
Reuters
This is the third time the United States and North Korea have started down a path toward denuclearization and normalization of relations. The difference now is that Trump and Kim have committed themselves earlier on in the process and more publicly than their predecessors did.
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International Economic Relations
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Why Russia Should Not Rejoin the G7
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Jun 13, 2018
USA Today
Even were it to disgorge the parts of Ukraine that it seized in 2014, Russia still would not qualify for reentry into the G8. An aspirational case for Russian membership might be made, but only if Russia's leadership aspires to democratic government and an open free market economy. At the moment there is no sign of such an aspiration.
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North Korea
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Difficulties Integrating North Korean Defectors Suggest Challenges in Reunifying Korea
Sebastian Joon Bae
Jun 11, 2018
The Cipher Brief
Despite expansive government aid, North Korean defectors in South Korea remain a nation within a nation, co-existent yet separate. If South Korea cannot fully adopt and assimilate 30,805 North Korea defectors, how will South Korea ever embrace roughly 25 million North Koreans in the event of reunification?
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Security Cooperation
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Kim-Trump Summit Rife with Opportunity for U.S.
Michael J. Mazarr
Jun 11, 2018
The Hill
The growing costs of planning for Korean military contingencies place a burden on U.S. defense resources. If Tuesday's summit becomes a step toward eventual guarantees against aggression, the U.S. could remove a major Korean conflict from the top rungs of its defense planning roster, freeing resources for other worries.
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Mexico
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How the Results of the Mexican Election Could Impact U.S. National Defense
Sean M. Zeigler
Jun 7, 2018
Dallas Morning News
Mexico is the United States' first and possibly most critical point of contact with Latin America. The U.S. would be wise to continue to view its southern neighbor increasingly through a geopolitical lens. This could entail encouraging Mexico to think more globally and regionally about its role.
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International Diplomacy
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Six Lessons for Today from Past Summits
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Michael Haltzel
Jun 5, 2018
Fox News Channel
To prepare for possible meetings with his North Korean and Russian counterparts, President Trump can learn lessons from decades of high-profile summits between U.S. presidents and Kremlin leaders.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
North Korea Is Not Like Libya
Karl P. Mueller
Jun 1, 2018
Reuters
The prospect of a U.S.-North Korea summit has led to analogies between the present case and that of Libya, which abandoned its longstanding quest to develop nuclear weapons in 2003. But a better precedent would be the 2015 deal that froze Iran's nuclear weapons program.
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U.S.-European Relations
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Assessing Transatlantic Fallout After the U.S. Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal
James Hoobler
May 31, 2018
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies
The U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has set off another round of reflection on the state and future of the transatlantic alliance. Though this dispute may not in itself lead to a full breach in the transatlantic relationship, it joins a growing list of sharp disagreements impacting U.S. alliances.
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commentary
Canceled Summit Doesn't Spell End to U.S.-North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
May 25, 2018
The Hill
President Trump canceled his June 12 meeting with Kim Jong-un but left the door open for a future one. Successful diplomacy will require tending and fostering U.S. relations with China, Japan, and South Korea while forging an entirely new relationship with North Korea.
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Georgia (country)
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Where Is Georgia Headed?
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Daniel Fried, Kenneth Yalowitz
May 23, 2018
The National Interest
Since its renewed independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia has made steady progress toward full European and Euro-Atlantic integration, and stabilized relations with Russia. Continuing on this path is a key test of whether it is still possible for reforming former Soviet countries to integrate into the Euro-Atlantic community.
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Taiwan
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Beijing's Threats Against Taiwan Are Deadly Serious
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
May 22, 2018
Foreign Policy
China's perception of the political status of Taiwan and how close Taipei and Washington have become has come to dominate cross-strait relations. Taiwan and the United States should prepare for greater hostility in the coming years, almost certainly lasting until the next Taiwan presidential election in 2020.
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International Economic Relations
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Regime Appears Fragile as Iranians Turn Much of Their Ire Inward
Richard Charles Baffa @R_Baffa, Nathan Vest
May 21, 2018
The Hill
Economic hardship is fueling unrest in Iran. New sanctions stemming from the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal may exacerbate already difficult conditions. Now might be the time to exert maximum pressure on the regime in an effort to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table.
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Politics and Government
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Book Review: The Sovereignty Wars by Stewart Patrick
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
May 17, 2018
Strategy Bridge
“Sovereignty” is a complicated, multifaceted construct. The Sovereignty Wars is a timely and meticulous effort by author Stewart Patrick to clarify that concept, whose usage is a matter of both analytical interest and policymaking import.
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Vietnam
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Deciphering Vietnam's Evolving Military Doctrine in the South China Sea
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman, Nguyen Nhat Anh
May 11, 2018
Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
Vietnam has sought to balance China's expanding presence in the South China Sea through diplomacy and military modernization. The Vietnam People's Army has acquired many useful weapons, but unfamiliarity with combat in the sea and air will test its evolving military doctrine.
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Russia
commentary
The Limits of Russian Strategy in the Middle East
Ben Connable, Becca Wasser @Becca_Wasser
May 10, 2018
London School of Economics
The greatest limitation of Russia's Middle East strategy is that it is not Russia, but the Middle Eastern states themselves that determine the depth of their relations with Moscow. Just as Russia seeks to engage in the Middle East for its own benefit, these states also seek to use Russia to their advantage.
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International Diplomacy

The Quad: Second Verse, Same as the First?

Why This Wasn't Kim's Father's—or Grandfather's—Summit

Why Russia Should Not Rejoin the G7

Difficulties Integrating North Korean Defectors Suggest Challenges in Reunifying Korea

Kim-Trump Summit Rife with Opportunity for U.S.

How the Results of the Mexican Election Could Impact U.S. National Defense

Six Lessons for Today from Past Summits

North Korea Is Not Like Libya

Assessing Transatlantic Fallout After the U.S. Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal

Canceled Summit Doesn't Spell End to U.S.-North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy

Where Is Georgia Headed?

Beijing's Threats Against Taiwan Are Deadly Serious

Regime Appears Fragile as Iranians Turn Much of Their Ire Inward

Book Review: The Sovereignty Wars by Stewart Patrick

Deciphering Vietnam's Evolving Military Doctrine in the South China Sea

The Limits of Russian Strategy in the Middle East

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