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RAND's international affairs research comprises a range of cross-cutting issues, including global economies and trade, space and maritime security, diplomacy, global health and education, nation building, and regional security and stability. RAND also analyzes the policies and effectiveness of international organizations such as the UN, NATO, European Union, and ASEAN.

  • Dove painted on concrete, photo by Msznz/Getty Images

    Commentary

    From the Ashes of Hamas-Israel War, Can Economics Drive Peace?

    The economic costs of the violence in Gaza threaten Israel's economic future. For the Palestinians, the costs may be so large that they undermine the possibility of an independent Palestinian state. But the magnitude of these economic losses may, paradoxically, forge a new pathway toward peace once the fighting stops.

    Nov 28, 2023

  • Ukrainian servicemen at a ceremony where President Zelenskyy honored troops on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion, in St. Sophia's Square, Kyiv, Ukraine, February 24, 2023, photo by the Office of the President of Ukraine via Reuters

    Report

    National Identity and the Origins of the War in Ukraine

    From the 1990s to the 2022 invasion, Russia's manipulation of Ukraine was based on a post-Soviet Russian identity that was hostile to the European project. Meanwhile, Ukraine formed a national identity that was at odds with Russia's, and it grew stronger and more resistant to Russian influence.

    Nov 29, 2023

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  • Utility services workers work to restore heating networks in preparation for the heating season in Kharkiv, Ukraine, August 14, 2023, photo by Vyacheslav Madiyevskyi/Reuters

    Commentary

    Resilient Reconstruction in Ukraine

    Kyiv may be prudent to invest in resilience as it rebuilds energy and other utilities, transport, economic and health infrastructure, and housing. Doing so could put Ukraine in a stronger position during the war and give it a jump start on peacetime rebuilding.

    Dec 7, 2023

  • U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hand with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Woodside, California, November 15, 2023, photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

    Commentary

    The Nuclear Shadows of the Ukraine War as Seen Through a Chinese Lens

    China-U.S. relations are once again on an upward trajectory after the meeting between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit. But the good news should not obscure lingering bilateral tensions with respect to nuclear weapons.

    Dec 6, 2023

  • Chinese special forces commandos take part in a joint escort exercise during a military drill coded Peace and Friendship 2015, in the Malacca Strait, September 19, 2015, photo by Xinhua/Alamy

    Report

    Disrupting the Chinese Military in Competition and Low-Intensity Conflict

    There are certain tasks required for China's military to execute key competition and low-intensity conflict missions. Those tasks have potential vulnerabilities that the United States could leverage to disrupt China's strategic goals and constrain its ability to harm U.S. interests.

    Dec 5, 2023

  • Report

    Report

    Strategic Disruption by Special Operations Forces: A Concept for Proactive Campaigning Short of Traditional War

    RAND researchers develop a new concept for strategic disruption by special operations forces, exploring how disruptive campaigns can frustrate an adversary’s preferred strategy and enable friendly gains across multiple instruments of national power.

    Dec 5, 2023

  • Technicians working at the construction site of the Chongqing section of the Baihetan-Jiangsu ultra-high-voltage UHV power transmission project over the Yangtze River in Chongqing, China, December 5, 2021, photo by IMAGO via Alamy

    Report

    China's Global Energy Interconnection Initiative

    China aims to build a worldwide power grid that addresses the growing demand for electricity while supporting the transition to net zero. Could the potential global security implications of a super grid governed by China outweigh its benefits?

    Dec 5, 2023

  • North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks on as a rocket carrying what North Korea claims is spy satellite Malligyong-1 is launched in a location given as North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, November 21, 2023, photo by KCNA/Reuters

    Commentary

    North Korea's Satellite Launch: Part of a Bigger Problem for Kim Jong-un?

    On November 21, North Korea made its third attempt of 2023 to launch a reconnaissance satellite despite this launch violating multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and despite the urging of many other countries. It may well have been a desperate move by North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un.

    Dec 4, 2023

  • NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participates in the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023, photo courtesy of NATO

    Commentary

    Can NATO Supercharge Military Greening?

    NATO has taken significant steps to reduce environmental impacts of military activities and has set voluntary emissions reduction targets for its member states. By leveraging its existing standardization processes to encompass a wider range of equipment, supplies, and practices, NATO can solidify its role as the preeminent military leader on climate.

    Dec 1, 2023

  • The opening day of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30, 2023, photo by Jakub Porzycki/Reuters

    Commentary

    One More Chance for COP Reform

    The 28th U.N.-sponsored Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change looks set to be a replay of earlier COPs. The consistent shortfall in achieving climate goals has meant that the parties to COP discuss the same items year after year. Perhaps it is time for COP to take a new look at its own decisionmaking process?

    Nov 30, 2023

  • Preventing Domestic Violent Extremism

    Multimedia

    Preventing Domestic Violent Extremism: Insights from RAND Research

    RAND researchers Pauline Moore, Todd Helmus, and Alexandra Evans discuss the complex challenges of countering domestic violent extremism in the United States. Their research offers insights into trends, key actors in the extremist community, and factors that lead to joining or leaving extremist groups.

    Nov 30, 2023

  • U.S. military personnel assigned to United States Central Command deliver supplies in support of a USAID-led humanitarian mission at Pakistan Air Base Nur Khan, Pakistan.

    Report

    Defense Planning Implications of Climate Change for U.S. Central Command

    This report examines how U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) planners could use operations, activities, and investments in the coming decades to address security threats related to stressors from climate change in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

    Nov 29, 2023

  • The coast of Alexandria, Egypt, photo by Natalia Pavlova/Adobe Stock

    Research Brief

    What Climate-Related Conflict Could Mean for U.S. Central Command

    Climate change will hit the Middle East and Central Asia especially hard, with effects on both personal well-being and regional stability. It will likely create increased demand for stabilization operations, non-combatant evacuation operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

    Nov 29, 2023

  • Travelers are rescued from a flash flood in the Judean desert

    Report

    Mischief, Malevolence, or Indifference? How Competitors and Adversaries Could Exploit Climate-Related Conflict in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility

    This report presents an analysis of how U.S. competitors and adversaries — China, Russia, and Iran — could attempt to exploit climate-related conflict in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in future decades.

    Nov 29, 2023

  • The 23rd Space Operations Squadron, Det. 1 is located more than 700 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Photo by Airman Jonathan Whitely

    Testimony

    Enhancing Security in a Changing Arctic

    Security in the Arctic requires continuous effort to maintain, particularly in periods of transition—from climate change to demographic shifts to economic opportunities and risks to geopolitical dynamics. As an Arctic nation, it is the United States’ responsibility to take steps toward enhancing regional security.

    Nov 29, 2023

  • Report

    Report

    U.S.-Japan Alliance Conference: The U.S.-Japan Alliance in an Era of Strategic Competition

    These proceedings present insights that experts of Europe, Japan, Taiwan, and U.S. security policies presented at RAND Corporation–hosted virtual conferences that explored relevant issues on the U.S.-Japan alliance regarding strategic competition.

    Nov 29, 2023

  • A pilot walks toward a lineup of F-16 Fighting Falcons before a flight at Clark Air Base, Philippines. Photo by Airman 1st Class Sebastian Romawac/Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs

    Research Brief

    How Could the United States Gain Greater Access to Asia During a Conflict?

    Ensuring access to the territories of Indo-Pacific allies and partners in the event of a future conflict with China is a critical concern. How are Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and India likely to make access decisions? And can the United States influence their decisions?

    Nov 28, 2023

  • Report

    Report

    Improving Conflict-Phase Access: Identifying U.S. Policy Levers

    This report explores how U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific are likely to respond to military access requests in the event of a conflict with China and what policy levers the United States might use in peacetime to affect those responses.

    Nov 28, 2023

  • A simulated tactical nuclear attack drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and obtained by Reuters on September 3, 2023, photo by KCNA/Reuters

    Commentary

    Deterrence of North Korean Limited Nuclear Attacks

    No single action is likely to deter North Korean nuclear weapon use. But a combination of efforts may convince Kim Jong-un that any use of nuclear weapons for coercion would be very dangerous to his future, and could be a powerful approach to deterring North Korea.

    Nov 27, 2023

  • South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol (center) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as U.S. President Joe Biden looks on during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, California, November 16, 2023, photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

    Commentary

    South Korea's Surprisingly Successful China Policy

    When South Korea's president, Yoon Suk-yeol, entered office last year, the odds rose that a frostier bilateral relationship with China might take hold. But for now, at least, Yoon and his government have successfully managed China, and perhaps offered a road map for how others can too.

    Nov 27, 2023

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