FSI scholars offer expert analysis and commentary on contemporary global issues.
FEATURED NEWS
Lithuanian Ambassador Audra Plepytė Urges Resistance to Russia
During a discussion at FSI, Audra Plepytė, the Lithuanian ambassador to the United States, explained why preserving Ukraine's sovereignty is crucial for maintaining stability and security in the international order and challenged the West to do more to support Ukraine.
Meet the Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy Class of 2026
Hailing from every corner of the globe, the new class of the Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy is ready to make an impact on nuclear policy, digital trust and safety, rural investment, and more.
Five Things FSI Scholars Want You to Know About the Threats Our World Is Facing
At Stanford's Reunion weekend, scholars from across the FSI shared what their research says about climate change, global democracy, Russia and Ukraine, China, and the Middle East.
As protests continue in Belarus over the disputed re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, Steve Pifer explains how the government’s response to COVID-19 and a blatantly stolen election prompted the wide-spread demonstrations.
Since regaining its independence in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse nearly 30 years ago, Ukraine has sought to build links with the West. This includes ties with institutions such as NATO, with which Ukraine has established a distinctive partnership.
Steven Pifer, William J. Perry fellow at CISAC, former Foreign Service officer and Ukraine's Ambassador from 1998 to 2000, talks to Fordham's "Vital Interests" about Ukraine.
From 2001 to 2004, I was the senior American official to visit Belarus. The United States and European Union were thoroughly dissatisfied with President Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s authoritarianism, and US policy mandated that no official higher than a deputy assistant secretary travel to Minsk. EU officials and EU member states observed comparable restrictions.
Russia seemed a country on the rise globally, with President Vladimir Putin well on his way to lengthening his time in power. But he faces serious headwinds with COVID 19, the virus’s economic impact in Russia, and the collapse of oil prices that are driving the Russian economy into recession. Steven Pifer discusses Putin’s future and the prospects for US-Russian relations.
Volodymyr Zelensky swept to victory in Ukraine’s spring 2019 presidential election because he promised renewed reform and a real fight against corruption.
President Donald Trump’s chief arms control envoy last week acknowledged the possibility that the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) could be extended, but he added, “only under select circumstances.” He then put down conditions that, if adhered to, will ensure the Trump administration does not extend the treaty.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government in Ukraine face two fundamental challenges: ending the conflict with Russia and implementing domestic reform. Overcoming these challenges appeared hard enough at the start of 2020. COVID-19 is only making that more difficult.
There were high hopes for Ukraine’s prospects to develop into a successful, democratic and economically prosperous state when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Unfortunately, the country has experienced a series of false starts and missed opportunities over the past three decades.
![[Left to right]: Michael McFaul, Marshall Burke, Steven Pifer, Oriana Skylar Mastro, Didi Kuo, and Amichai Magen on stage.](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/630x355_x2/public/2024-10/fsi_reunion_2024_panel_hero.png?h=c4d9845d&itok=e3H-fUYU)
