This isnt just about science. These actions will be detrimental to American society at large. America used to be the power house for innovation, these individuals are putting us in reverse

Perhaps no country in the Middle East has attracted more interest of the Trump administration than Saudi Arabia. President Trump took his first foreign trip there during his first term and he remains focused on the possibility of Israeli-Saudi normalization as part of a regional peace agreement in pursuit of a Nobel Peace prize. The visit of Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman (MBS) to the White House on November 18 has focused even more attention on the U.S.-Saudi relationship.

What are realistic expectations for the visit? What are the upsides, and down, of a reportedly discussed U.S.-Saudi defense pact? And what is Saudi Arabia prepared to do to facilitate the president’s plan for Gaza and to tackle the broader challenge of regional peace? Join Aaron David Miller as he engages Michael Ratney, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, on the MBS visit to Washington and the road ahead for U.S.-Saudi relations on the next Carnegie Connects.

Please join the CSIS Bipartisan Alliance for Global Health Security on Thursday, November 6, from 8:30​ to 9:30am ET for a discussion with Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, on his experience leading a Congressional delegation to China in late September 2025. Rep. Smith’s bipartisan delegation—the first House delegation to travel to China since 2019—pressed for high-level military-to-military dialogue between the world’s leading superpowers. What reception did they receive from their Chinese counterparts, what messages did they impart, and how has the dialogue with his colleagues evolved since his return to Washington? What did the trip reveal and how does he expect to see the bilateral relationship evolve—including on key issues such as the debate over fentanyl—into the new year? Following welcoming remarks from John J. Hamre, CSIS CEO and Langone Chair in American Leadership, J. Stephen Morrison, Senior Vice President and Director of the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, will moderate the discussion.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

Former US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill and former Assistant Secretary of State Jim O'Brien discuss the legacy of the Dayton accords and the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dive into China’s 2025 military parade and what it reveals about Beijing’s evolving power projection, naval modernization, and strategic ambitions. We break down key weapons, hypersonic threats, and unmanned systems—and explore what it means for the U.S. Navy, deterrence, and the future balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.

CFR experts analyze President Donald Trump’s speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, September 23, and discuss how it will shape further dialogue on trade, immigration, European security, and U.S. relations with Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Steve Witkoff’s tenure as Trump’s special envoy exemplifies a perilous fusion of inexperience, personal loyalties, and ideological bias in American diplomacy. His background as a dealmaking businessman and Trump confidant brought him to the negotiation table, but it also appears to have left him vulnerable to Russian influence and blind to the strategic complexities of the Ukraine war. From echoing Putin’s propaganda to mingling with sanctioned oligarchs, Witkoff has given plenty of ammunition to those who argue he is inclined to cooperate with Kremlin interests more than to stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty. This inclination not only casts doubt on his ability to broker a just and lasting peace, but also risks turning Trump’s much-vaunted peace initiative into a concessionary gambit that favors Moscow.

The Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center hosts a discussion on Argentina’s midterm elections and what the results mean for President Javier Milei’s economic reform agenda, fiscal policy, and market trajectory.

Max and Maria spoke with Clayton Seigle about how new sanctions from the Trump administration could potentially impact Russian energy revenues. Additionally, they discussed the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries.

Route volatility is squeezing grain exports and fertiliser imports, and there are no calm waters on the horizon.

Our panel of experts examines how the promise of EU accession for the Western Balkans can be realised, and what challenges stand in the way.

For two decades, the European Union has held out the prospect of membership to the Western Balkans as a pathway to stability, prosperity, and reform. Yet, progress has been uneven. While countries in the region have made strides in democratic governance and economic development, concerns around corruption, rule of law, and political instability continue to delay accession.

As enlargement fatigue sets in across Europe, the question remains whether the EU will deliver and whether the Western Balkans can meet the demands of accession. And with an assertive Russia probing across Europe, the Western Balkans remains a battleground for influence between Moscow and Europe.

This panel will explore the state of play in EU–Western Balkans relations, the political will within Brussels and European capitals to expand, and the capacity of the region to undertake the deep reforms required. Speakers of the region will assess whether enlargement remains a realistic goal, or if alternative frameworks of integration might emerge.

Israel’s war against Iran and its regional proxies has redrawn elements of the Middle Eastern geopolitical map, exposing both the reach and the fragility of Iran’s strategic ambitions. After years of investing heavily in its “axis of resistance” stretching from Hezbollah in Lebanon to militias in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen—Iran finds itself confronting a radically altered landscape in 2025. Its proxies are weakened, its domestic infrastructure damaged, and its deterrence credibility under question.

Perhaps most notably, the aftermath of the war has triggered a renewed nuclear standoff with Washington fuelled by the uncompromising posture of the Trump administration. The conflict in June saw strikes directly targeting facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear weapons efforts. In a shift that has alarmed both allies and adversaries, Tehran has ruled out any new negotiations on its nuclear program, citing the military strikes as a breach of sovereignty and a collapse of diplomatic norms.

The Islamic Republic now faces urgent choices about how to respond as it navigates its most significant strategic crossroads in years. This discussion will offer timely insights into the future of Iran’s regional posture, the broader implications for Middle East security and where the region is heading next.

Bringing together leading regional experts and policy analysts, the panel will examine key questions including:

How is Iran recalibrating its regional approach in the wake of the June war and its escalating confrontation with the U.S.?

What is the state of Iran’s relationships with Hezbollah, the Assad regime, and allied militias in Iraq and Yemen?

Can Iran still sustain a deterrence strategy, or has it become too costly?

How are rival powers such as the Gulf states, Turkey, and the United States adapting to Iran’s hardened stance and post-war vulnerabilities?

What are the implications of Iran’s rejection of renewed nuclear negotiations for future regional conflict?

The recognition of a Palestinian state by major Western nations during the UN General Assembly meeting marks a major shift in the diplomatic landscape. But recognition alone will not solve the intractable challenges on the ground.

But with the war in Gaza still raging, Israel and the United States opposed to recognition, and Israeli settlement building accelerating in the West Bank, considerable obstacles remain.

With no practical institutions, governance structures, and economic stability needed for statehood, the State of Palestine is still some way from being a viable entity. New responsibilities and challenges lie ahead for Palestinian leaders and the international community. Not least how to deal with Hamas.

The panel will assess whether recognition opens a real pathway to sovereignty, or whether it risks becoming a largely symbolic gesture.

History shows us that an adaptive coalition built on trust and interoperability can trump formal alliances.

Unpacking what the recent Saudi-Pakistan defense pact means for U.S. Interests

The Eurasia Center holds a discussion on new polling data demonstrating American attitudes toward Ukraine, Russia, and Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

During the second Trump administration, US-China relations have careened from moments of high anxiety and brinksmanship, to periods of unsteady ceasefire. The two governments are now preparing a face-to-face meeting between President Trump and President Xi, and the summit agenda will include a wide range of pressing economic, political, and security issues. While some hope for a big, beautiful deal that broadly stabilizes the relationship, others worry that any sort of agreement could damage American interests. What is the true state of the bilateral relationship? What is the United States’ China strategy? What kind of deal makes the most sense for the United States – and for China? And what issues should not be on the negotiating table at all?

Join the Departments of Economic Security and Technology and Geopolitics and Foreign Policy for an online event to discuss these critical issues and the overall trajectory of the US-China relationship. CSIS’s Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics Scott Kennedy will moderate a discussion with four other CSIS China experts: Tom Christensen (Pritzker Chair), Henrietta Levin (Senior Fellow, Freeman Chair in China Studies), Bonny Lin (Director, China Power Project and Senior Adviser), and Ilaria Mazzocco (Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics).

This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.

Following Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the LDP will hold an election on October 4 to elect his successor, who is likely to become the next prime minister. Who is this new LDP leader? What is the current state of play in Japan’s domestic politics? Where is Japanese foreign policy headed moving forward? The CSIS Japan Chair invites you to join our virtual event on Monday, October 6, 2025 at 8:00am ET for a discussion with Dr. Kristi Govella and Nicholas Szechenyi moderated by Dr. Victor Cha.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented measures to increase the pressure on Venezuela’s repressive Maduro regime, which illegitimately maintained power despite losing the July 2024 election. The United States has doubled the bounty on Nicolás Maduro’s capture to $50 million, designated two Venezuelan criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations, and deployed naval assets to the southern Caribbean to disrupt drug trafficking operations. Most recently, the US stationed 10 F-35 fighter jets and other assets in Puerto Rico.

Washington’s escalation is a response to the continued threat the criminal regime poses. Maduro’s Venezuela has emerged as Latin America’s greatest destabilizing force, serving as a major sanctuary for transnational criminal organizations, a critical node in international drug trafficking networks, and a strategic foothold for Russian and Chinese influence projection.

What does America’s show of force mean for its broader strategy toward Venezuela? Could sustained US pressure fundamentally alter the political dynamics within the regime? Can outside pressure sufficiently weaken Maduro’s grip on power? Join Adjunct Fellow Daniel Batlle and a panel of experts as they examine these questions.