Analysis
List of Analysis articles
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A man holds a sign with images of U.S. President Donald Trump and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro that reads "Enemies of the people" during a demonstration calling to tax the super-rich and demanding the end of the six-day workweek at Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Trump’s Tariff Threat Against Brazil Might Politically Boost Lula
What was meant as a show of strength by MAGA and its Brazilian franchise has turned into a gift for Lula.
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Xi and Trump walk side by side. How Strong Is China’s Rare-Earth Card?
Washington is making big moves, but Beijing has a powerful hand.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reacts during a debate with leaders of various Japanese political parties at the National Press Club in Tokyo on July 2. Why Japan Might Be America’s Most Frustrated Ally
Tokyo is being squeezed by its biggest enemy and by its closest friend.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) meets with U.S. President Donald Trump (L) during Pope Francis’s funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Can Trump Be Sold on Supporting Ukraine?
A changeable president seems to be turning against Putin.
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A fighter jet flies against a clear blue sky. The jet has a pointy gray nose and the flag of France on its tail wing. India’s Air Force Is in Crisis
The recent conflict with Pakistan and a deadly crash underscore issues with an aging fleet and weapons procurement.
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An illustration shows the legs and shoes of a person with either foot astride the opening of the Panama Canal. The legs are covered in the stars and stripes of the U.S. flag. A container ship is seen entering the canal. A Man, a Plan, and a Long History of Overplayed Hands
Trump did not invent hardball U.S. diplomacy with Panama. Then, as now, it is doomed to backfire.
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France's Minister of Overseas Manuel Valls (R) watches as baby sea turtles are released into the ocean during a visit to Kwata eco-park and museum, on Awala-Yalimapo beach, in the French overseas department of Guiana on June 15. The World Is Making Progress on Conservation—Without the United States
Trump’s brand of isolationism and exceptionalism will be outlasted by the multilateral agreements made in the coming months.
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A Chinese Navy ship with bow number 629 sails near Escoda Shoal, as seen during a maritime patrol in the disputed South China Sea on June 7. Beijing’s Dominance of the South China Sea Is Not Inevitable
Groupthink and short-termism are clouding judgments about these waters.
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A Croatian flag flies during a UEFA Euro 2024 group stage match in Hamburg, Germany, on June 19, 2024. Croatia’s Quiet War in Bosnia
Zagreb’s push for segregation puts the future of democratic Bosnia at risk.
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A portrait of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa next to a defaced portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump in Damascus. In Syria, It’s Trump vs. Trump
Donald Trump wants to give Syria “a chance at greatness,” but his assault on U.S. foreign aid threatens to undo any progress achieved.
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With his back turned to the camera, Trump stands points at a crowd of people wearing hard hats and reflective safety vests. Behind Trump and the crowd is a massive American flag that seems to cover an entire wall. Trump Embraces State Capitalism
The level of U.S. government economic intervention under Trump 2.0 is off the charts.
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Trump and Putin Trump’s Ukraine Shift Sends the Right Signal to Putin
But there won’t be peace without additional pressure on the Kremlin.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers an end-of-year press conference in Kyiv on December 19, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine’s Democracy Has Stalled
With the United States ceasing to care, Ukraine’s domestic reforms are falling flat.
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An employee holds a pair of shoes at a Crocs store in Hanoi's Old Quarter in Vietnam on July 7, 2025. The U.S.-Vietnam Trade Deal Makes No Sense
Hanoi has a long history of managing its wayward friends, but what’s in this for Washington?
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U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on July 14. There’s Less to Trump’s Ukraine Shift Than Meets the Eye
Europe will buy unspecified weapons for Ukraine, and Russia gets a long reprieve from sanctions.
