State and Local Officials Newsletter |
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Global Order Fragmentation |
Venezuela’s rise as a focal point in regional tensions, alongside growing unrest in Iran and continued strategic interests in Greenland, offer a set of case studies in how political instability, energy markets, migration pressures, and economic shifts abroad can directly influence U.S. communities and affect state and local policymaking. This State and Local Officials Newsletter highlights resources from CFR.org, ForeignAffairs.com, and ThinkGlobalHealth.org that examine these new and constantly shifting dynamics and aim to equip officials with the necessary information and context to serve their states and communities across the country. We look forward to your continued participation in the CFR State and Local Officials Initiative and welcome your feedback on how we can better support the work you are doing. Please email us at stateandlocal@cfr.org.
Best regards,
Irina A. Faskianos
Vice President, National Program and Outreach |
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Assessing Venezuela’s Future After Nicolás Maduro’s Bold Capture |
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After U.S. forces carried out strikes on Venezuela and captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, four CFR experts assess Venezuela’s future and what it means for its population, the United States, and the global order.
Read more on CFR.org » |
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The New Imperial Age: Trump, Venezuela, and a Century-Old Vision of American Power |
The U.S. Naval War College’s Aroop Mukharji argues that actions under President Trump resemble trends from 1898 when the United States began to expand its global reach. He explains that current protectionist policies, interest in territorial control, and renewed intervention in Latin America reflect the same mindset that once propelled the United States into an era of overseas imperialism. Read more on ForeignAffairs.com »
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Greenland in the Geopolitical Spotlight |
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The New York Times’ David Sanger moderates a panel with American Enterprise Institute’s Heather Conley, Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Rebecca Pincus, and Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, to address the underpinnings of recent tensions surrounding Greenland.
Watch on CFR.org » |
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The 10 Best and 10 Worst U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions |
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| As part of its America at 250 Series, CFR’s James M. Lindsay surveyed members of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations and compiled a ranking of what respondents view as the most consequential foreign policy decisions in U.S. history.
Read the full survey on CFR.org »
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Iran Is a Test of Trump’s National Defense Strategy |
In this expert take, CFR President Michael Froman spotlights how the 2026 National Defense Strategy attempts to shrink the United States’ global reach by shifting more security responsibility to its allies, even as it recenters interest in the Western Hemisphere. But as Trump threatens Iran with a “massive Armada”, Froman suggests a deeper tension between a strategy built on disciplined prioritization and a president quick to escalate when crises erupt. Read more on CFR.org »
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The Trouble With Regime Change: What History Teaches About When and How to Pursue It |
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CFR President Emeritus Richard Haass contends that U.S. efforts to depose foreign governments have consistently led to harmful and destabilizing outcomes, pointing to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya as recent examples. Renewed interest in regime change, including in Venezuela, overlooks the historical reality that such operations are far easier to begin than to manage and often result in chaos without a clear post‑ouster plan.
Read more on ForeignAffairs.com » |
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Conflicts to Watch in 2026: Preventive Priorities Survey Results |
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In a new report from CFR’s Center for Preventive Action, CFR’s Paul B. Stares warns that global instability remains high, with experts expecting several ongoing and emerging conflicts to escalate in ways that could significantly affect U.S. interests. Top risks include intensifying violence in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, potential major power crises, and other flashpoints where early preventive action could make a difference.
Read more on CFR.org » |
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Dispatch from Munich: The Future of Transatlantic Relations |
Writing from the Munich Security Conference in Germany, CFR President Michael Froman reports that despite an unusually tense start, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered more reassurance on NATO than expected, while European leaders stressed the need to bolster Europe’s geopolitical role amid debates over alliance cohesion, defense burden‑sharing, and the broader direction of transatlantic security. Read more on CFR.org »
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Open to Debate: Should the United States Militarize the War on Drugs? |
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| In this forum, supporters argue that powerful cartels now pose a national security threat while critics warn that military involvement risks escalation, legal overreach, and limited effectiveness.
Watch on CFR.org » |
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Increasing Venezuela’s Oil Output Will Take Several Years—and Billions of Dollars |
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