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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.

  • Smoke rises from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan. April 22, 2023, photo by Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters

    Commentary

    The Fight for Sudan Was Inevitable

    When conflict in Sudan did not end after the 2005 peace agreement, the international community fell into a familiar pattern of never-ending negotiations. But conflict resolution focused on agreements that split power between armed groups rarely leads to sustainable peace. The effects of such misbegotten efforts are plain to see.

    Apr 27, 2023

  • Volunteers remove debris from the House of a Culture in the village of Ivanivka, which was heavily damaged during Russia's attack, in Chernihiv region, Ukraine, September 3, 2022, photo by Vladislav Musienko/Reuters

    Report

    Weighing Options for Ukraine's Recovery

    In making decisions about reconstruction, the Ukrainian people and their government will face trade-offs regarding timelines, prioritization of efforts, leadership, and funding. Understanding these trade-offs can improve their decisions and contribute to the transparency and integrity of the process.

    May 2, 2023

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  • Two tanks in magenta facing opposite directions with a soldier standing on top, on a neon green background, photo illustration by Alyson Youngblood/RAND Corporation

    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

  • USCGC Kimball encountered a People's Republic of China Guided Missile Cruiser approximately 75 miles north of Kiska Island, Alaska, September 19, 2022, U.S. Coast Guard photo

    Commentary

    Great Power Competition Is on the Arctic Agenda

    Despite its military problems in Ukraine, Russia remains a formidable potential adversary in the Arctic. And there is a growing realization that China is not going away in the Arctic, bringing both of the United States' strategic competitors into Alaska's backyard. Can great power politics be checked at the door of the Far North?

    Feb 16, 2023

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint news conference with U.S. President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House, Washington, D.C., December 21, 2022, photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

    Commentary

    Support to Ukraine Continues to Be for America First

    Why should the United States spend tens of billions of dollars on a war half a world away? Because it's in America's economic and strategic interests.

    Feb 15, 2023

  • Satellite image shows the advance of China on the border with India, in the western Himalayas, June 24, 2020, photo by MAXAR Technologies via Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect

    Commentary

    Preparing for the Next India-China Border Crisis

    Mounting tensions between India and China due to Chinese encroachment on their disputed border affect the United States and its Indo-Pacific strategy. Washington should assist New Delhi in deterring further Chinese attempts to nibble away at Indian territory and be ready to respond quickly in case events spiral out of control.

    Feb 15, 2023

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Study to Support an Evaluation of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL): Final Report

    This is the final report of the study to support the European Commission's evaluation of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL).

    Feb 14, 2023

  • Report

    Report

    Russia's Evolution Toward a Unified Strategic Operation: The Influence of Geography and Conventional Capacity

    In this report, RAND researchers examine the reasons behind Russia's evolution toward a unified strategic operation, as well as the capabilities that would be necessary to execute key conventional offensive tasks in such an operation.

    Feb 13, 2023

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Moscow, Russia, February 9, 2023, photo by Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik via Reuters

    Commentary

    A Political Assessment of Putin's War on Ukraine

    Putin's war in Ukraine is already redefining the entire international order. If the United States acts now, it may be able to influence the shape of the post-war geopolitical terrain.

    Feb 13, 2023

  • RAND Weekly Recap

    Blog

    State of the Union, Mental Health First Aid, China's Spy Balloon: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on President Biden's State of the Union address, the benefits of mental health first aid training, insights on China’s spy balloon, and more.

    Feb 10, 2023

  • A blue furry monster known as the 'Brexit Monster' makes an appearance in the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, December 1, 2020, photo by Bart Biesemans/Reuters

    Commentary

    How the Dutch Approached Brexit

    The impact of Brexit on the Netherlands is significant. The Dutch government would have preferred the UK to stay in the EU. But despite all this, the Netherlands approached Brexit with relative clarity of purpose and the administration of the program brought a satisfactory outcome.

    Feb 9, 2023

  • U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol arrive for a state dinner at the National Museum of Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, May 21, 2022, photo by Lee Jin-man/Pool via Reuters

    Commentary

    U.S. Cannot Count on South Korea's Yoon to Line Up Against China

    South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol wants South Korea to become a global pivotal state that plays a valuable role in the international community. Turning this into reality will inevitably mean striking a balance between the United States and China.

    Feb 9, 2023

  • Dissertation

    Dissertation

    Sustaining Global Leadership

    Studies the strategic behavior of leading historical powers that faced rising challengers abroad and fiscal constraints at home and concludes with takeaways from case studies and discusses potential implications for American public policy.

    Feb 8, 2023

  • President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy applaud, February 7, 2023, photo by Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via Reuters

    Blog

    State of the Union 2023: Insights from RAND

    In his second State of the Union address, President Joe Biden covered a wide range of issues facing the United States at home and abroad, including police violence, gun policy, Russia's war in Ukraine, and U.S. competition with China.

    Feb 8, 2023

  • Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida receives salutes from Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force soldiers at Sagami Bay, south of Tokyo, Japan, November 6, 2022, photo by Issei Kato/Reuters

    Commentary

    Japan's Long-Awaited Return to Geopolitics

    In very short order, Japan moved to change decades of strategic thinking and embark on a new approach to security. The stark reality of geopolitics and the realization that what was once hypothetical is now possible were likely enough to convince Japan that the time for a new approach to its security is now.

    Feb 6, 2023

  • RAND Weekly Recap

    Blog

    The War in Ukraine, Software Supply Chain Risk, 'Hacking Equity': RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on lessons about defense strategy from the war in Ukraine, U.S.-France cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, software supply chain risk, and more.

    Feb 3, 2023

  • Call with the Experts: The North Korean Nuclear Threat

    Multimedia

    RAND Experts Discuss the First Year of the Russia-Ukraine War

    In this Call with the Experts podcast, RAND researchers discuss the first year of the Russia-Ukraine war. This call was recorded on February 2, 2023.

    Feb 2, 2023

  • Jim Chow introduces the first panel of the 7th Annual West Coast Aerospace Forum, photo by RAND Corporation

    Multimedia

    The 7th Annual West Coast Aerospace Forum

    U.S. Air Force leaders and top national security experts gathered at the seventh annual West Coast Aerospace Forum in December 2022. This year's event focused on lessons learned from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and how those experiences will apply to security challenges in the Pacific theater and beyond. These videos include the proceedings from the event's five sessions.

    Feb 1, 2023

  • RAND Weekly Recap

    Blog

    Avoiding a Long War in Ukraine, Gun Violence, Migrant Surges: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on how the United States can help avoid a long war in Ukraine, responding to the gun violence crisis, limits on teachers’ instruction, and more.

    Jan 27, 2023

  • Sailors on the USS Wasp observe as the Japanese destroyer JS Yuugiri moors alongside in Okinawa, Japan, April 23, 2018, photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Barker/U.S. Navy

    Commentary

    Japan's Strategic Shift: Significant, but Implementation Hurdles May Await

    Japan's new strategic documents appear to demonstrate a recognition in Tokyo that it must do more for its own defense in the face of unprecedented security challenges. The dedication of resources, pursuit of new capabilities, and overarching commitment to a more robust defense are all significant moves that represent landmark change by one of America's key allies.

    Jan 27, 2023

  • Soldiers of China's PLA take part in a joint multinational U.N. peacekeeping military exercise with troops from Pakistan, Mongolia, and Thailand, in Henan province, China, September 15, 2021, photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

    Testimony

    China's Overseas Military Diplomacy and Implications for U.S. Interests

    As the U.S.-China competition intensifies, military diplomacy is one of the tools that China could potentially use to gain advantage. What are some ways that China’s military diplomacy activities could challenge U.S. interests? And what are some recommendations for U.S. policymakers?

    Jan 26, 2023

  • U.S. Army soldiers and French soldiers conduct a water obstacle course at Camp Papeari Tahiti, French Polynesia, May 11, 2022, photo by Master Sgt. Shelia L. Cooper/U.S. Army

    Report

    Greater Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Could Benefit U.S. and French Armies

    The United States and France already share objectives in the Indo-Pacific. They could cooperate further to increase dialogue and information-sharing, engage in more combined partnering with other countries, and broaden their participation in exercises and training in the region.

    Jan 25, 2023

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