"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

If only…

Here’s what caught my eye this week: Trump’s retreat from the UN provides opening to autocrat, Israel’s efforts to end the dream of a Palestinian State, and a powerful column by M. Gessen about what is happening in our country. And links to TV interviews and more. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

This week, World Review looks at the effort to pressure Russia on Ukraine, Israel’s response to the growing recognition of Palestine as a state, and the US increased isolation at the UN on the eve of the General Assembly’s meetings next week. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

Here’s what caught my eye this week: Sudan’s forgotten war. New plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza. A secret effort to install listening devices in North Korea. Americans losing faith in the American Dream. Some interviews and articles I did you may have missed. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

@ivodaalder.bsky.social, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2009–2013), former President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and host of the World Review podcast, brings distinguished diplomatic leadership, policy acumen, and institutional insight to the Belfer Center.

World Review this week looks at Russia’s drone strikes on Poland, Israel’s failed attempt to kill Hamas leaders in Qatar, and the latest example of Trump’s “Shake-Down Presidency.” open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

I fear politics has become not a competition between ideas but a civil war between two sides | by @ivodaalder.bsky.social

Charlie Kirk’s horrific murder won’t bring us together and reflect on the danger our divisions pose for our country. I fear it will tear us further apart and strengthen the authoritarian forces that have dominated our politics since Trump’s return. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

To reassure Ukraine that Europe’s security commitments are real, European leaders must “draw on the resources of NATO” to support Ukrainian forces, argues @ivodaalder.bsky.social.

Ukraine and Europe can’t count on Trump or the US security guarantees. They’re on their own. My latest on what they need to do. www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/bett...

How Trump’s demand that Modi publicly give him credit for the ceasefire with Pakistan in May ended a quarter century of bipartisan effort to create a US-Indian strategic partnership. My latest in Politico Europe. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Here’s what caught my eye this week. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

This week’s World Review: three Some stories you may have missed: Europeans seek snapback of sanctions on Iran; China eats US business for lunch in Africa; and is the US about to invade Venezuela. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

Steven Miller calls the Democratic Party an “extremist organization.” Don’t be surprised if Trump moves to ban the party as a danger to America. Can’t happen here? After the last 8 months, that seems a very thin reed to hold onto.

Here's what caught my eye this week -- and links to my TV appearances and commentary. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

Trump's only strategy on Ukraine is to get a deal--any deal--so he can claim he delivered on his promise as a peacemaker. It won't work.

Joining @msnbc.com to discuss latest on Ukraine.

Great idea. Let’s have the next US, Ukraine, Russia summit in Budapest—the same place Russia assured Ukraine in 1994 it would respect its sovereignty and borders. And look how well that turned out. www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

After all the hubbub—the red carpet, the virtual calls, the racing to Washington, two Oval Office meetings, another Trump-Putin call— we’re no closer to ending the war in Ukraine and we were weeks ago. Trump loves the limelight, but that’s not diplomacy. My take

In explaining why he abandoned his proposal for a ceasefire, Trump said “in the 6 wars I’ve settled, I haven’t had a ceasefire. We just got into negotiations.” That’s not true of course. At least half were ceasefires, with no resolution to the underlying conflict. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Joining @arimelber.bsky.social on @msnbc.com to talk about the White House meeting Trump is hosting with European leaders. Tune in

Joining @msnbc.com for the next hour to comment on Zelensky’s meeting with Trump in the Oval Office.

Tom Wright has this exactly right. Trump and Witkoff are seeing concessions by Russia on territory and security assurances that Putin almost certainly didn’t make. Which is why the war isn’t going to end anytime soon. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Looking forward to watching Trump give Zelensky the same red-carpet welcome, maybe with a flyover viewed together from the White House balcony, he afforded Putin.

The U.S. president’s desire to be “peacemaker-in-chief” is based on a profound fallacy: that peace merely entails an end to fighting. We’re seeing this fallacy play out on Ukraine right now. My latest for @politico.eu www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Trump will try to bully Zelensky and the Europeans into accepting an unacceptable peace. All he wants is to be seen as the one who ended the war. He doesn’t care how or at what cost. But as I told the Guardian, the Europeans should hold fast and tell Trump: you’re either with us or against us.

About to join @cnn.com to discuss the latest on Ukraine and what we can expect from Trump’s meeting with Zelensky and European leaders tomorrow.

The best “NATO-like security guarantee” for Ukraine is NATO membership. Full stop. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/w...

For all Trump’s talk that his meeting with Putin was “a 10”, made “great progress” and was “successful,” Putin didn’t budge an inch. His demands—an end to Ukraine’s sovereignty and rolling back NATO’s eastward enlargement—remain unchanged. To maintain otherwise is delusional.

I talked with The New Yorker's Susan Glasser about the outcome of the Anchorage Summit. We marveled at the way Putin played Trump, how Europe continues to hope beyond hope Trump can help, and how the war will continue. Well worth your time. ivodaalder.substack.com/p/world-revi...

Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO @ivodaalder.bsky.social , fmr. Communications Director for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Michael Hardaway, and MSNBC political analyst Brendan Buck discuss the Trump-Putin Ukraine summit. www.msnbc.com/weekends-wit...

Watch Susan Glasser talk about the Putinization of America.

The Alaska Summit demonstrates that Donald Trump doesn’t share Europe’s view of security in Ukraine and the continent. He has sided with Putin’s Russia and against them. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

Don’t be fooled by “NATO-style” security guarantees Trump reportedly offered Ukraine with Putin’s blessing. If the guarantees are real, NATO is the best way to implement them. If Putin accepted them, they’re obviously not real. Only NATO membership is real guarantees. www.kyivpost.com/post/58328

Trump got played by Putin. Again. He accepted Putin’s position on Ukraine as his own. Ukraine and Europe are now alone, needing to increase pressure on Russia and supporting its fight on the battlefield. It’s a terrible day for peace, security, and transatlantic relations.

No deal. And no sanctions. Vladimir Putin had a great day. Donald Trump not so much. Ukraine is bearing the brunt of this calamity. It’s hard to think of how this could have turned out any worse.

No deal. And no sanctions. Vladimir Putin had a great day. Donald Trump not so much. Ukraine is bearing the brunt of this situation, and it’s heartbreaking to see how things have turned out.

Want to know what happened in Anchorage? I’ll be assessing the outcome with @sbg1.bsky.social and @antonlaguardia.bsky.social tomorrow on Substack at noon, ET. open.substack.com/live-stream/...

What to know about the Trump-Putin Summit. My conversation with @Catherine Philp and @Felicia Schwartz dives deep into Ukraine’s anxieties, Trump’s objective, and Putin’s strategy. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

I joined Erica Hill on @cnn this morning to talk about the Alaska Summit and what we can expect to come of it. Here’s a clip. drive.google.com/file/d/12WTh...

Join me Friday at 11a ET for an episode of World Review Live on Substack as I discuss the Alaska Summit with Catherine Philp of The Times and Felicia Schwarz of Politico. open.substack.com/live-stream/...

Trump and Putin’s Alaska summit is upcoming and we couldn’t be less excited. @ivodaalder.bsky.social, @rosabrooks.bsky.social, Angela Stent, and @djrothkopf.bsky.social discuss the event and answer why we shouldn’t count on a peace deal. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... youtu.be/syrh_PQLSu0

Joining @jaketapper.bsky.social @cnn.com to talk about what we can expect from the Anchorage Summit on Friday

It used to be that Summits came after painstaking preparations with all but the final details settled. No longer. Trump will meet Putin with no preparation other than briefings from his chief negotiator who’s been played by Putin from the start. No wonder Ukraine and Europeans are nervous.

Here’s what caught my eye this week … Europe, Gaza, AI, Russia’s 2016 election interference, and the one and only Tom Lehrer, who passed away this week. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

This week, we take a look at how Trump is upending the trading system, the slow move to recognize starvation in Gaza, and new hopes for pressuring Russia. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

The US is at risk of losing the competition with China — mainly because of what it is doing to itself. On science, technology, research, and immigration, the Trump administration is shooting itself not just in the foot, but in the head. My latest. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...

Famine in Gaza, Afghans sent home, and trade talks gain momentum. This week’s World Review is up. Please take a look, share, and if you like it, subscribe. open.substack.com/pub/ivodaald...