[Jonathan Bernstein] Trump is doubling down on a self-destructive strategy

Is President Donald Trump about to talk himself into an impeachment? 　The topic du jour may be Rudy Giuliani’s bombshell about Stormy Daniels, but the more important story remains Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the Russia scandal and possible obstruction of justice by the president. Trump has been taking to Twitter to make some newish arguments about obstruction, apparently trying to prove the preposterous idea that presidents cannot obstruct justice. He’s only bolstering the

May 8, 2018

[K. Ward Cummings] Knives out: Bolton and Pompeo, may the best man win

As John Bolton took up his new role as national security adviser, a tingle rippled up the spine of those of us in Washington who like to see a good fight. Bolton brings to the job a reputation for not only being a hawk on military matters but for also being a particularly forceful and skilled bureaucratic infighter. All this will make for engaging theater as he settles into a position that has since the Truman administration been a source of contention between the White House and the Department

May 7, 2018

[David Ignatius] Should Kim get credit for Korean detente?

President Trump deserves credit for seizing the moment for negotiations with North Korea. But some little-noticed documents reveal that Kim Jong-un has been planning his denuclearization offer and opening to America for the past five years.The diplomatic pace is accelerating now as Trump and Kim prepare for their planned summit. There’s talk that North Korea may soon release three American prisoners, and Pyongyang has announced plans for a theatrical demolition of a nuclear test site later this

May 7, 2018

[Trudy Rubin] Generation Putin: Young Russians, who have never known life without him, imagine their future

One sign of how long Vladimir Putin has held power is that Russians in their late teens (or even early 20s) have known no other political leader.　As the Russian president begins his fourth term Monday -- amid much speculation about whether he’ll ever relinquish power -- many of the best and brightest of the Putin generation are growing nervous about their future.Young adults who study at good universities and live in Moscow or St. Petersburg -- cities bursting with cafes, restaurants, Western go

May 7, 2018

[Ivo H. Daalder] Four things to remember about the North Korea talks

It’s been a historic week on the Korean Peninsula. The North-South summit between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in was nothing short of extraordinary. Pictures and videos allowed us to watch history unfolding, and the excitement was reminiscent of 1989, when we witnessed the momentous thawing of relations between East and West Germany.　The welcome meeting at the Demilitarized Zone gave everybody something to root for -- after all, leaders meeting each other is much better than leaders shouting or twe

May 7, 2018

[Adam Minter] How Mickey Mouse conquered China

Two years ago, Wang Jianlin, once China’s richest man, referred to his network of theme parks as a “wolf pack” that would chase Walt Disney and its Shanghai Disneyland from China. Last week, Shanghai Disney unveiled a major expansion of its $5.5 billion park, now the most popular in China. Wang, by contrast, is out of the business altogether, having sold his theme-park holdings to raise cash for his real-estate company.　Wang’s rollercoaster descent is, in part, a tribute to Disney’s global appea

May 4, 2018

[David Ignatius] US should leverage Iran‘s nuclear secrets for a better deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a treasure trove of secrets on Monday about Iran’s hidden nuclear activities. But it would be a waste of this extraordinary intelligence to use it as a pretext for American withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Much better to use it as a pressure tool to squeeze Tehran.The Israeli intelligence coup should open the way for a much smarter US campaign to isolate Iran and tighten the deal -- and bring Europe, Russia and China along in a common push

May 3, 2018

[Beatrice Fihn] Weapons of male destruction

As an advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons, I don’t have the luxury of mincing words. There are an estimated 15,000 nuclear warheads scattered around the world, and eliminating them means speaking truth -- and often hard truths -- to power. In that spirit, let me be unequivocal: Today’s leaders are too emotionally unstable to be trusted with the world’s nuclear stockpile.As I told the Nobel committee last year when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of my organization, the Intern

May 3, 2018

[Max Brooks] Are we really ready for a cyberattack?

Last month, the US and UK governments released a joint “Technical Alert” on the dangers of “Russian state-sponsored cyber actors.” While timely and targeted, this alert shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.　We’ve witnessed enough cyberattacks in recent years to understand that the digital domain is humanity’s new battlefield. And while the West is ramping up its defenses, its efforts aren’t guided by an overall doctrine. That’s right: There is no master plan.　What we need now, before a more serious

May 3, 2018

[Chicago Tribune] A peaceful day in Korea. Give Trump some credit.

In a stunning diplomatic development, the leaders of North and South Korea met Friday at the Demilitarized Zone that divides the warring countries. They smiled, shook hands on both sides of the border and sat down for an engaging chat. Could this be the beginning of the end to the Cold War-era conflict that, on its worst days, raises the threat of nuclear war?　Get this: The day’s best analysis was also the simplest, tweeted by President Donald Trump, who wasn’t there at Panmunjeom but played a k

May 2, 2018

[Trudy Rubin] Can Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny use social media to combat Putin’s presidency-for-life?

The flowers are constantly replenished on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky bridge near the Kremlin’s walls, at the spot where liberal opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was gunned down in February 2015. A volunteer cadre of Nemtsov’s admirers regularly resupplies the blooms and tries to guard the memorial from destruction by thugs.　A visit to that bridge is a potent reminder of the risk of publicly opposing the Kremlin.　As Vladimir Putin prepares for his fourth term as president -- a post that many Russian

May 2, 2018

[Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry] Macron’s new Iran deal deserves a chance

French President Emmanuel Macron wants to rescue the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. His office made a joint announcement with the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that the two leaders would work together on preserving the deal, in the wake of Macron’s state visit to the United States, where he tried to convince his American counterpart to give the deal a chance. Macron has put forward a proposal that could, indeed, improve the situation and

May 2, 2018