Foreign Policy in Focus

Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF) is a “think tank without walls” connecting the research and action of more than 600 scholars, advocates, and activists seeking to make the United States a more responsible global partner.

FPIF provides timely analysis of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs and recommends policy alternatives. We believe U.S. security and world stability are best advanced through a commitment to peace, justice, and environmental protection, as well as economic, political, and social rights. We advocate that diplomatic solutions, global cooperation, and grassroots participation guide foreign policy.

FPIF aims to amplify the voice of progressives and to build links with social movements in the U.S. and around the world. Through these connections, we advance and influence debate and discussion among academics, activists, policy-makers, and the general public.

Latest Work

Ukraine and the Lessons of the Iraq War

The call of the peace movement 20 years ago–invading troops out!–should be the call of the peace movement today.

IPS Looks Back on 20 Years of Endless War and Border Militarization

We didn’t stop the Iraq War, but we changed history. Here’s a look at the legacy of the last two decades — and the brighter future that can follow.

Free Trade or Just Green Trade?

Corporations are using trade and investment treaties to handcuff global and national efforts to save the planet.

Ukraine’s Future: Like Korea or Yugoslavia?

Will the war turn into a stalemate or the crushing defeat of an imperial power?

Can the World Save the World?

The international community has so far failed to made a dent in the climate crisis. Is the problem all about governance?

We Need to Cut the Military Budget, But Don’t Trust the Far Right to Do It

There’s an urgent need to stop funding wars and human rights abuses abroad and to free up funding for human needs at home. The Freedom Caucus can’t be counted on for either.

Spying vs. Spying

The United States and China should be putting their surveillance capabilities to better use.

Battling a Mining Goliath on Two Continents

Environmental activists have made some important strides in confronting the Australian mining company Lynas.

Maybe the World Isn’t Falling Apart

There are several reasons to be optimistic, from repairing the ozone layer to combating COVID.

Israel’s Strange Ambivalence on Ukraine

So much for conspiracy theories about Jews controlling the world. We can’t even get together to control the outcome of the war in Ukraine.

From the Unsustainable Here to the Sustainable There

Economic growth is killing the planet. How do we engineer an alternative?

Solidarity with Ukraine

The Ukraine Solidarity Network believes that the victims of aggression have every right to defend themselves and should receive the support of those who support national self-determination and justice.

The Rise of Self-Hating Politicians

House Republicans, Euroskeptics, Vladimir Putin, and Jair Bolsonaro are the agents of a new kind of political disorder that parallels the chaos of failing states, economic catastrophe, and climate disasters.

The Future of Korean Democracy

Korea faces the same democratic deficits as other countries–polarized opinion, rising populism, pervasive fake news–just when it needs responsive democracy the most.

The Far Right is Crazy–Like a Fox

Forget the deplorables and focus instead on the persuadables.

The Crypto-Populist Pyramid Scam

Here’s how to connect Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele to Sam Bankman-Fried and Bored Ape Yacht Club.

Changing My Mind on Ukraine

Bosnia did not get the support it needed 30 years ago to defend itself. Today it is barely a state, and that’s the fate that Ukraine needs to avoid.

The Greenwashing Scam Behind COP27’s Flop

This year’s UN climate conference offered some reason to celebrate. But the growing clout of the “carbon capture” industry is hindering urgent efforts to clamp down on fossil fuels.

What Climate Debt Does the North Owe the South?

Richer countries haven’t met their $100 billion promise to help poorer countries move beyond fossil fuels. Where’s the money going to come from?

The Greenwashing Scam Behind COP27’s Flop

This year’s UN climate conference offered some reason to celebrate. But the growing clout of the “carbon capture” industry is hindering urgent efforts to clamp down on fossil fuels.