Diplomacy – Page 5 – think tanks monitor

U.S. Navy sailors stand at attention on the deck of a naval vessel.

America’s Navy Is Winning Battles and Losing the Maritime Order

June 15, 2026

This analysis explores the critical disconnect between American naval superiority and the declining stability of the global maritime order. Despite massive expenditures, the U.S. fleet struggles with coercive asymmetric threats and a structural lack of domestic industrial capacity. The piece argues that reactive, ad hoc responses are insufficient to counter systemic vulnerabilities and the rise of China’s maritime infrastructure, necessitating a comprehensive strategic framework to address the realities of modern maritime disorder.

A chess board featuring a US dollar bill and a Chinese yuan bill facing off with knight pieces.

Washington Is Building the Yuan’s Latin American Empire With Its Own Hands

June 13, 2026

This analysis examines how U.S. foreign policy—specifically the increased use of sanctions and unpredictable tariff threats—is incentivizing Latin American nations to diversify their reserves. By systematically transforming the dollar into a politically conditional instrument, Washington has created a vacuum that China is strategically filling with its own financial infrastructure, significantly altering the geopolitical landscape of the region.

Donald Trump sitting inside a traditional golden-trimmed state carriage.

Trump’s Civilizational Rhetoric Is Fracturing the Very West It Claims to Defend

June 13, 2026

This article examines the rise of “civilizationalism” as a guiding doctrine in American foreign policy and the resulting strain on the traditional Western alliance. By analyzing the historical parallels to late-stage imperial Rome and the fracturing of multilateral commitments, we discuss how the shift toward identity-based rhetoric—rather than civic or interest-based diplomacy—is accelerating a global transition toward an “American-minus-one” international system, where key partners increasingly seek stability and trade arrangements outside of Washington’s influence.

A missile launching into the night sky, representing regional defense systems.

Bombs Alone Won’t Close the Iran Deal — Economic Statecraft Must

June 13, 2026

This article argues that the ongoing conflict and nuclear stalemate between the United States and Iran cannot be resolved through military coercion alone. By analyzing historical precedents like the 2015 JCPOA and the Libya model, we explore how a sophisticated framework of graduated sanctions relief and structured post-war investment—rather than just punitive measures—can create the necessary economic logic to encourage lasting Iranian compliance and regional stability.

Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un walking on a red carpet at an airfield with an honor guard and a large airplane in the background.

What Xi and Kim Really Want From Each Other

June 10, 2026

This analysis explores the strategic motivations behind Xi Jinping’s recent state visit to North Korea, examining the complex triangular relationship between Beijing, Pyongyang, and Moscow. As North Korea deepens its military ties with Russia, we discuss how China is navigating the erosion of its traditional diplomatic framework, the pursuit of regional stability, and the ongoing challenge of maintaining economic and political influence over a regime now emboldened by its own nuclear status.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaking at a podium with Turkish and Israeli flags in the background.

The Iran War Is Handing Turkey a Regional Opportunity It Did Not Ask For

June 6, 2026

The aftermath of the US-Iran conflict has unexpectedly positioned Turkey as a central player in regional security and trade. By leveraging its growing defense industry and anchoring vital alternative trade corridors like the Iraq Development Road, Ankara is capitalizing on Gulf states’ desires for strategic autonomy. This post analyzes how Turkey’s diplomatic maneuvering and new regional alignments, including the emerging Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi-Egypt quartet, are reshaping the Middle Eastern economic and geopolitical landscape.

Trump and Xi Jinping shaking hands during a formal meeting.

Trump’s Taiwan Arms Freeze Is a Strategic Gift to Beijing

June 5, 2026

The Trump administration’s decision to pause a significant arms package to Taiwan marks a departure from four decades of bipartisan defense strategy. By conditioning military support on bilateral relations with Beijing, this move undermines the Six Assurances and raises critical questions about Washington’s long-term reliability among its Indo-Pacific treaty allies.

A protester holding a sign with a photo of Benjamin Netanyahu and the word "Genocida."

Netanyahu’s Real Goal Is Not Victory — It Is Preventing a Deal

June 5, 2026

This analysis examines Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategic opposition to the emerging US-Iran memorandum of understanding. By utilizing military escalation in Lebanon and Gaza, Netanyahu seeks to render diplomatic stabilization efforts unmanageable. The article explores the growing tension between Washington’s domestic political requirements and Israel’s maximalist regional objectives during this critical period.

A view of a destroyed building in Lebanon with a national flag flying in the background.

Lebanon’s Endless War Loop Is a Failure of Strategic Imagination

June 5, 2026

This analysis explores the historical failure of military-only solutions in the Lebanon conflict, tracing the pattern of violence from 1978 to the present day. Despite massive increases in operational scale—culminating in the devastating impact of the 2026 campaign, which has displaced nearly one-fifth of the Lebanese population—the strategic goal of eliminating Hezbollah remains elusive. By examining the persistent cycle of destruction and rebuilding, we argue that current military operations are trapped in a “strategic time loop.” We assess the widening disconnect between Washington-led ceasefire negotiations and the reality on the ground, questioning whether any military alternative can succeed where fifty years of history has definitively proven failure.

A U.S. F-16 fighter jet in flight, representing military power and global base presence.

America’s Empire of Bases Is Starting to Cost Its Hosts Too Much

June 5, 2026

This analysis examines the growing strategic liability of the U.S. “empire of bases” in the Middle East. As the ongoing conflict with Iran reveals the vulnerability of host-nation infrastructure—exemplified by the devastating June 3 attack on Kuwait International Airport—we explore how the proliferation of low-cost, high-impact drone and missile technologies has fundamentally inverted the security guarantee the U.S. once provided. We assess whether the increasing risk of hosting U.S. forces will lead to a systemic denial of access, potentially forcing a retraction of American global reach and fundamentally altering the future of U.S. military power.

A wide view of a G20 summit conference hall featuring flags and representatives from various nations.

The Case for a Third Economic Pole Without the US or China

June 3, 2026

This analysis examines the recent Chatham House report, Saving global economic governance from the ‘Trump shock’, which advocates for the creation of a “third economic pole” in the global financial system. As the U.S. and China increasingly weaponize economic policy and dismantle multilateral institutions, the report argues that market-oriented middle powers must move beyond ad-hoc “variable geometry” coalitions. By establishing a standing alliance between the European Union and the 12 CPTPP member states, these nations could create a stable, rules-based trade bloc large enough to maintain economic openness and resilience independently of the two competing hegemons.

Thick black smoke rising into the sky over a Lebanese city with residential buildings in the foreground.

Lebanon Has No Seat at the Table — Only a Place on the Menu

June 3, 2026

This analysis explores Lebanon’s precarious position as the regional conflict between Washington, Tehran, and Jerusalem escalates. Despite the pretense of formal diplomatic talks, Lebanon continues to be treated as a theater of war rather than a sovereign participant in the ongoing negotiations. By examining the structural weaknesses of the Lebanese state, the tactical decoupling of the Lebanon track from broader nuclear talks, and the potential for a cynical diplomatic settlement that sacrifices Lebanese stability for US-Iran concessions, we assess the worsening humanitarian and security crisis facing the country as of June 2026.

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Category: Diplomacy

America’s Navy Is Winning Battles and Losing the Maritime Order

Washington Is Building the Yuan’s Latin American Empire With Its Own Hands

Trump’s Civilizational Rhetoric Is Fracturing the Very West It Claims to Defend

Bombs Alone Won’t Close the Iran Deal — Economic Statecraft Must

What Xi and Kim Really Want From Each Other

The Iran War Is Handing Turkey a Regional Opportunity It Did Not Ask For

Trump’s Taiwan Arms Freeze Is a Strategic Gift to Beijing

Netanyahu’s Real Goal Is Not Victory — It Is Preventing a Deal

Lebanon’s Endless War Loop Is a Failure of Strategic Imagination

America’s Empire of Bases Is Starting to Cost Its Hosts Too Much

The Case for a Third Economic Pole Without the US or China

Lebanon Has No Seat at the Table — Only a Place on the Menu

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