FOREIGN POLICY

JUNE 24. 2026

The New Geography of the World Cup

Migration, colonial history, and elite academies have redefined today’s national teams.

China’s De-Dollarization Drive Has Hit a Wall

Beijing can create financial instruments, but it cannot decree demand.

Washington’s Middle East Military Presence Is Uniquely Counterproductive

Rather than ensuring the free flow of energy, U. S. intervention has only interrupted it.

Russia Makes Inroads in Southeast Asia

Energy is Putin’s strongest card in a fuel-hungry region.

JUNE 23. 2026

U. S. , Iran Rally Support for Interim Peace Deal Abroad

But competing assertions have Gulf nations worried that the agreement won’t last.

Why the World Cup Keeps Eluding China

Xi has spent billions of dollars trying to turn Beijing into a soccer powerhouse.

Poland, Ukraine, and the Ongoing Battle Over the Ukrainian Insurgent Army

An ugly chapter of World War II history is straining relations between Warsaw and Kyiv.

The U. S. Won the War With Iran

It wasn’t a knockout blow, but Washington prevailed on points.

Is the MOU a Treaty or Not? And Why Should We Care?

Confusing language in the U. S. -Iran cease-fire agreement makes its legal status unclear.

How America Made the Mafia

Organized crime and U. S. global influence in the 20th century.

From Bloody Kansas to the Rebuilding of Europe

In trying to restore order after World War II, U. S. leaders drew lessons from a dark chapter in their country’s history.

JUNE 22. 2026

Starmer Resigns as Burnham Eyes Top Job

A decade after Brexit, the United Kingdom is still struggling to stabilize.

China Flexes Its Rare-Earth Muscle—Again

New export restrictions underscore Beijing’s supply chain grip in ongoing tensions with Washington.

Why Is Alibaba on a Pentagon Blacklist?

Washington doesn’t know how to untangle China’s military-civil fusion.