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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.

Commentary
One Year After Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Experts React
We asked nearly 30 RAND experts to highlight takeaways from the first year of Russia's all-out war—and share what they're watching as the conflict in Ukraine grinds on. Here's what they said.
Feb 20, 2023
Report
The Bureaucratic Inertia of U.S. Afghanistan Policy
The U.S. policy goal of preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists remained constant for 20 years even as the dynamics of the war and the will of the policymaking community changed and there was no apparent hope of military victory. Why?
Feb 21, 2023

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Commentary
U.S. Decision on ASAT Testing a Positive Step Towards Space Sustainability
The United States recently committed not to conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing. This sets an important example others might follow and takes an important first step towards a binding, international ban.
Apr 21, 2022
Commentary
Rebuilding Ukraine
By leveraging better investment conditions and reforms and broad international support, Ukraine could carry out a well-executed reconstruction program once the fighting ends. It might repair much of the war damage and help Ukraine move into the ranks of faster-growing European economies.
Apr 18, 2022
Blog
Russian Mercenaries, Online Extremism, the Commercial Space Market: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Russia's use of mercenaries, understanding how extremist movements operate online, trends in the commercial space market, and more.
Apr 15, 2022
Commentary
Supporting the People of Ukraine Through Sister Cities
The Los Angeles City Council recently voted to adopt the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as a Los Angeles sister city, which could speed the flow of goods and services to the war-torn Ukrainian capital.
Apr 14, 2022
Commentary
Book Review: 'Escalation and Deescalation of Crises, Armed Conflicts, and Wars'
The evolving crisis in Ukraine has generated much discussion about whether Moscow would escalate the conflict, whether in frustration at the slow progress of its military operations, or in response to actions of other states, even possibly resorting to nuclear weapons. But what do Russian sources suggest about escalation?
Apr 11, 2022
Commentary
Russia Does Not Seem to Be After Ukraine's Gas Reserves
There seems to be very little reason to believe that the true stakes of the war in Ukraine are the country's natural gas reserves, as some have speculated. Ukrainian gas fields appear too small to justify the costs of the invasion, too hard to keep, and almost impossible for Russia to exploit.
Apr 11, 2022
Commentary
Russia and Ukraine: The Economic Consequences of Peace
Amid some hopeful signs in Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire talks, it may be useful to keep in mind that the West could gain substantial economic leverage to influence outcomes during and after Russia's war against Ukraine. How it uses this leverage could have far-reaching consequences.
Apr 8, 2022
Blog
Employing Insurgency in Ukraine, U.S. Hospital Prices, Reaching the Middle Class: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss the potential value of an insurgent campaign in Ukraine; addressing L.A.’s housing crisis; lessons from the 2017 battle for Raqqa; a look at U.S. hospital prices; Americans’ options for reaching the middle class; and how to help single mothers get out of poverty.
Apr 8, 2022
Commentary
Why Most of the Indo-Pacific Tiptoes Around Russia
Since the start of Russia's increasingly brutal war in Ukraine, the West has ramped up pressure on the rest of the world to condemn Moscow's belligerence and join sanctions against Russia and its regime. In the vast Indo-Pacific region, however, the West's message has fallen flat.
Apr 7, 2022
Commentary
Russia's Tragic Failure to Reform Its Economy
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and resulting sanctions will likely devastate Russia's economy. If the country had taken a more productive economic course over the past two decades, it might be looking toward a different future—one in which economic reforms had more tightly integrated Russia with the economically advanced countries, enhanced Russian influence and power, and built global trust.
Apr 7, 2022
Report
Security Cooperation in a Strategic Competition
Neither China nor Russia has a formal doctrine or strategy for security cooperation. How can the United States enhance its security cooperation policies and activities to its competitive advantage?
Apr 6, 2022
Commentary
Is There a Future for Multilateralism?
The rise in the use of informal arrangements and the proliferation in the use of regional arrangements have weakened multilateral institutions. Multilateralism's failure, if it happens, could raise significant challenges on how to address global public issues.
Apr 4, 2022
Commentary
The Ukraine War's Three Clocks
As the war in Ukraine creeps into its second month, perhaps the most common question is: How will it end? Ultimately, the answer comes down to three internal clocks—Ukraine's, which is counting down in years, Russia's, in months, and the United States and NATO's, which is stalled at the moment but could restart quite quickly.
Apr 1, 2022
Report
Understanding the Emerging Era of International Competition Through the Eyes of Others: Country Perspectives
The authors examine the nature of the emerging era of international competition, assess the perspectives of the major powers—beginning with the primary challengers to the U.S.-led international order—and evaluate various characteristics for each country.
Mar 31, 2022
Report
Efforts to Avoid Civilian Casualties in Raqqa Were Considerable but Insufficient
The 2017 battle to liberate Raqqa, Syria, from ISIS is a cautionary tale in 21st-century conflicts. U.S. strategic choices likely increased civilian harm despite considerable efforts to avoid civilian casualties by both U.S. and coalition forces. What lessons can be applied to future operations?
Mar 31, 2022
Report
What Would a Strategy of Restraint Mean for U.S. Security Policy?
If the United States adopted a grand strategy of restraint in the Asia-Pacific, how would its posture in the region change and how would it determine when to use force? What warfighting scenarios involving the defense of Japan could guide defense planning?
Mar 31, 2022
News Release
Efforts to Avoid Civilian Casualties in Raqqa, Syria, in 2017 Were Considerable but Insufficient
U.S. strategic choices in the battle to liberate Raqqa, Syria, from ISIS in 2017 likely increased civilian harm despite considerable efforts to avoid civilian casualties by both U.S. and coalition forces.
Mar 31, 2022
Commentary
Putin's Actions in Ukraine Are Spilling North
The decision of seven Arctic countries to suspend collaborative work with Russia in the Arctic is by far the most severe and consequential break in cooperation the region has ever seen. This breakdown of Arctic diplomacy could have several important impacts on the region and could potentially threaten the United States as well as its allies.
Mar 30, 2022
Commentary
Even as War Rages, It's Not Too Soon for U.S. Policymakers to Look Over Horizon
As Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on and the humanitarian disaster deepens, Washington may be tempted to focus exclusively on punishing Putin. But that approach might well backfire. Over the long term, the United States wants stability and peace in and around Ukraine and to ensure that Moscow pays a cost for its aggression without making it a global pariah.
Mar 30, 2022
Research Brief
How and Why China Uses Gray Zone Tactics
China uses a variety of gray zone tactics—coercive actions that are shy of armed conflict but beyond normal diplomatic and economic activities—to advance its objectives, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Which tactics should the United States prioritize countering?
Mar 30, 2022

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RAND Topic:
International Affairs

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Michelle Grisé

Policy Researcher

Michelle Grisé is a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her research focuses on Iran, South Asia, Russian military strategy, strategic competition, and international law. Prior to joining RAND, Grisé was a law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the…
Andrew Radin

Political Scientist

Andrew Radin is a political scientist at the RAND Corporation. His research interests include European security, NATO, and Russia’s foreign and security policy; state building and security sector reform; and peace operations. He is the author of Institution Building in Weak States: The Primacy…

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