US and North America Programme

Trump’s comments on Taiwan after his meeting with Xi and an apparent move towards ‘strategic stability’ with China could have consequences for Taiwan’s future and erode trust among US allies.

The summit’s short agenda reveals a preference for continuing stability, which buys time. The question is how each side will use it.

The president has alienated partners that once acted as force multipliers. But there are still opportunities to create a united front on common points of tension with Beijing.

Lord Robertson, former NATO Secretary-General, was speaking at a Chatham House event to launch a House of Lords report on UK–US relations.

Foreign policy is a low priority for US voters. But a rushed deal could impact the president’s domestic support in November’s midterm elections.

The president once saw opposition to wars as key to his popularity. But the Iran attacks show he is now more interested in spending political capital than saving it.

The State of the Union showed the president’s faith in the efficacy of tariffs is undimmed – despite the adverse Supreme Court ruling.

At first glance, the Trump administration’s energy dominance policy appears to have been a success. But shifting energy market dynamics has proven difficult.

Mark Carney visits Beijing hoping to diversify Canada’s economic partnerships. But trade with the US remains vital, even as tariffs bite and security worries about Donald Trump’s intentions grow.

As the Trump administration enters its crucial second year, polls indicate that much of the American public disapproves of the president and his flagship policies, although views are split along partisan lines.

A muted response to events in Venezuela shows allies still want to avoid confrontation with Washington. But that approach cannot last if the president seeks to force them into alignment with MAGA policy and cultural politics.

What does it mean for Trump’s popularity at home, for Ukraine and NATO, and for Venezuela’s neighbours in South and Central America?

Editors of The World Today, the international affairs magazine of Chatham House, discuss with experts from across the institute the global trends, looming flashpoints and potential areas for dialogue that may lie ahead in 2026.

Chatham House experts highlight the crunch moments and potential flashpoints in the year ahead.

The Democratic strategist tells Iona Allan what the party could learn from New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the ‘supermajority thinking’ that it must adopt to win in the 2026 midterms and beyond.

The strategy confirms US volatility and unpredictability: hedging remains the best way for other countries to respond.

Beijing has consistently defied expectations to overcome the ‘King’s dilemma’ – maintaining control while fostering innovation. It presents a historic challenge. 

The Trump administration is unlikely to prioritize multilateral consensus but could embrace the forum as a dealmaking club.

Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York’s mayoral race this week – and other electoral successes – energized Democrats in the US and left-wing parties worldwide. Our experts assess the significance of the first major elections of Trump’s second term.

As the legal challenge to Trump’s tariffs reaches the US Supreme Court, the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for global trade and beyond.

Chafing at China’s assertiveness and US unpredictability, the UK and Europe would be wise to pursue their own truly independent China policies.

An internship offers an invaluable learning experience through a six-month placement in one of our teams.

At the UN General Assembly this week, the Trump administration will seek to undermine and weaken elements of the UN system. The question is, will it also want to rebuild it?

Announcements on technology could offer promising areas for partnership – but progress on Ukraine and Gaza seems unlikely.

The inability of Congress to hold the president to account has placed greater pressure on a divided judiciary. A constitutional crisis could be coming, warns Max Yoeli.

As the UN General Assembly approaches, attempts to manage the president’s constantly shifting policy by courting him personally may soon prove inadequate.

Attacks on economic data and institutions risk undermining trust at a crucial moment for the US economy.

Laurel Rapp will take up the role of Programme Director of Chatham House’s US and North America programme in September.

Allies like Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia have no choice but to try and meet the president’s conditions for alliance.

The US will hit three self-imposed deadlines this summer: on tariffs, international organizations and the debt ceiling. Administration choices will make it clearer how President Trump sees the global order – and harder to argue that the fundamentals of US strength are undamaged.

The increased use of sanctions in recent years has caused growing concern about the efficacy and unintended consequences of these measures. This paper looks at how to improve the implementation of sanctions.

As the Trump administration turns away from the US-led post-war international order, how are other states envisioning ‘international order’ and what are their plans for adapting to new realities?

This paper assesses plans for investment in a sustainable economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, and examines how such efforts could transform international development cooperation.

The technical capabilities of facial recognition have been embraced by law enforcement agencies. Going forward, governments must act to safeguard citizens’ rights.

In 2021 G7 leaders pledged to build back a better world. They now need to redouble their efforts to make sure that this ambition is fulfilled.

Venezuela’s recovery from economic collapse and the future prosperity of its citizens depend on the reconstruction of its crisis-ridden electricity system.

This paper offers a public policy ‘toolkit’ for governments in the US and Europe to support firms in securing resilient and sustainable supply chains

Important political shifts in 2021 could bring greater clarity on Germany’s changing China policy, no matter who succeeds Angela Merkel as chancellor, writes Noah Barkin.

This paper examines broad legal and institutional reform proposals for Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, and five countries it competes with in global markets.

The authors of this paper consider the most pressing foreign policy challenges for the next US president, and examine how the outcome of the 2020 election will affect these.

A modernized and fully functioning WTO is more essential than ever. This paper makes the case for transatlantic cooperation as a necessary condition for reform.

Canadian attitudes towards China have undergone a dramatic shift – from ambivalence to distrust – since the two countries became locked in a diplomatic dispute in late 2018. This paper argues that these hardened sentiments are unlikely to dissipate and Canada–China relations seem to have entered a new, warier phase.

This paper examines the risks of greater strategic competition as well as potential solutions for mitigating the impacts of the US–China economic confrontation.

This briefing argues that China’s rise has worrying implications for the liberal order and explores how this will affect the transatlantic relationship.

Many middle powers have been warning of the dangers inherent in the decline of the liberal international order. The time has come for these countries to translate their warnings into concerted action.

This paper recommends a framework for strengthening US–EU trade relations and achieving successful trade talks in the current era of protectionism. 

Despite significant financial expenditure and thousands of lives lost, a fundamental shift in policy remains unimaginable at present.

The rise of AI must be better managed in the near term in order to mitigate longer term risks and to ensure that AI does not reinforce existing inequalities.

If a new trade policy framework can be developed, Trump’s presidency could offer a chance to move the debate forward and actually strengthen global trade.

The impact of the rapid expansion of the commercial market on autonomous systems development cannot be overstated.