Ukrainian soldiers.

What would happen if the U.S. abandoned Ukraine? Former President Donald Trump has suggested he would do so if he returns to the White House next year and predicted he would end the war quickly, most likely by pressuring Kyiv to negotiate. But even if the intent is to bring peace, the practical effect would be to prolong the war.

Workers board up a storefront in Kingston.

After years of economic stagnation, Jamaica’s economy has recently experienced rapid and potentially sustainable growth, thanks to effective policymaking. But the economic recovery came at the expense of preparedness for the effects of climate change, which poses significant dangers to Jamaica’s core sectors of agriculture and tourism.

U.S. President Joe Biden.

At a time when free trade deals are seen as toxic across the political spectrum, President Joe Biden has promised a “worker-centered trade policy” that aims to create domestic jobs. But from the beginning, his administration’s approach has been met with a great deal of skepticism both from domestic critics and U.S. trade partners.

Video screens at the European Parliament building promote the upcoming European elections.

One of the biggest elections in this “ultimate election year” is the one scheduled for June, when more than 400 million people in 27 countries will be eligible to vote for a new European Parliament. The elections will have considerable impact not only for the people who live in Europe but also for the rest of the world.

Leaders of the BRICS group.

The BRICS group has long sought to challenge Western domination of technologies and infrastructures. Now, cooperation on artificial intelligence is increasingly on its radar. Provided the group aligns its members’ approaches to AI through its new initiatives, its role in international AI governance is poised to expand.

U.S. President Joe Biden.

There are few impulses more deeply rooted in the U.S. political imaginary than the urge to remain aloof from the turmoil that often engulfs the wider world. With the possibility of another era of U.S. withdrawal from aspirations to be the world’s “indispensable nation” now looming, Washington’s allies in Europe need to prepare for it.

An Afghan man in Kabul.

Congressional hearings on the Biden administration’s controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 have become a renewed focal point for political narratives about blame. But they also create an opportunity to consider counterfactual hypothetical scenarios that could expand our understanding of the U.S failure in Afghanistan.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Throughout his five years in office, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has dramatically altered the country’s landscape, using his popularity to craft and maintain a narrative that often contradicts reality. Now, with his term coming to an end, the question is whether Mexico’s “post-truth politics” will end with it.

A U.S. military vehicle in Syria.

While an exit by U.S. forces from Syria and Iraq is unlikely in the near term, it also seems inevitable. That raises the questions of why U.S. forces are still in both countries. Despite the fraught politics around withdrawal in Washington, it’s time policymakers start thinking about how best to bring those troops home.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

Last week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro threatened to call for a constitutional convention, reopened peace talks with a notorious criminal group and canceled a cease-fire with a dissident FARC faction. Announcements like these would normally create months’ worth of media coverage. Under Petro, they have become almost uneventful.

Corruption knows no geographic boundaries, and its impact is devastating, particularly for developing countries. While recent revelations of massive corruption have made the issue a high priority for voters, the obstacles to effectively tackling corruption can prove to be persistent. That, in turn, can lead to popular disenchantment with leaders and democratic processes.

Uyghur advocates calling for TikTok to divest from ByteDance.

Late last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill with overwhelming bipartisan support requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell off the app or face a ban in the United States. The concerns are ostensibly about security, but the potential ban is also about a lot more than the app itself.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

Over the past month, Ugandan activists have used an online campaign to publicize deep-seated corruption and extravagant spending by members of parliament. The campaign reflects growing discontent with the government of President Yoweri Museveni, discontent that could eventually spell trouble for the long-ruling strongman.

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia’s latest electoral charade secured President Vladimir Putin a fifth term in office, meaning he could stay in power until 2036 or even beyond. But what if Putin suddenly dies or decides to step down? Barring a palace coup or a revolution, a half-dozen people within his inner circle are considered possible successors.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and Sinn Fein Vice President Michelle O’Neill.

After almost two years of stalemate and political wrangling, Northern Ireland’s power-sharing governance system is back up and running. But the latest boycott that paralyzed the government was just the latest in a long line of disputes that has seen Northern Ireland’s dysfunctional legislative body shuttered for long periods.

Migrants, mostly Venezuelans, walk across the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama.

Around the world, far-right populist parties continue to stoke the popular backlash against global migration, driving some centrist governments to adopt a tougher line on immigration. But with short-term strategies dominating the debate, many of the persistent drivers of migration go unaddressed, even as efforts to craft a global consensus on migration are hobbled by demands for quick solutions.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

As the U.K.’s Conservative Party hurtles toward an extinction-level event in elections later this year, some observers have pointed to Canada’s elections in 1993 as a fitting precedent for the total collapse of a once-dominant conservative party. Yet for all the similarities, the differences between the two cases are also revealing.

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