Outside the Beltway

A glimmer of hope in Gaza is quickly snuffed out.

The U.S. and Europe have announced a new round of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, but it’s not clear that the Russians will be motivated to change course.

What the West does in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine is largely up to Europe, not the United States.

No surprises so far.

History matters.

Things are getting serious in eastern Ukraine.

If you live in Russia, you’re getting a different version of the story of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Vladimir Putin has become immensely popular in Russia again, and its not hard to figure out why.

Yesterday’s events are likely to be a game changer, but how the game plays out depends largely on how Europe reacts.

Basically, the answer is that nobody really thought there was much of a risk that a plane could be shot down.

Someone took down a Boeing 777 over Ukraine today.

Another incident involving a Malaysia Airlines 777, but this one could be far more serious.

Rick Perry and Rand Paul are highlighting what looks to be a coming battle inside the GOP over foreign policy.

The English-speaking and Scandinavian countries are very different.

In the end, the separatists in eastern Ukraine have always been expendable as far as Vladimir Putin is concerned.

The NSA and FBI are doing more spy stuff.

There’s a new round of allegations about American spying on Germany.

Ukrainian forces have recaptured the city of Slovyansk from pro-Russian separatists.

The First World War played an intriguing role in the birth of the radical Islam we are dealing with today.

The news media of 1914 didn’t see World War One coming, but it’s not clear that we’re any better.

While the world watches Ukraine, Central Asia could also be an area where Russia may seek to expand its territory.

If President Obama does decide to use military force in Iraq, he should be required to seek Congressional approval beforehand.

Twenty-five years after his seminal “End of History” article, Francis Fukuyama reflects on its legacy.

There’s little evidence for the conservative contention that the President has damaged America’s position in the world.

A supposed conservative calls for massive increases in taxes on alcohol.

Yet another autiobiography invites public discussion about her accomplishments.

Once again, President Obama’s attempt to communicate a foreign policy vision falls short.

For the first time, Edward Snowden is talking to the American media.

The latest chapter in an all too familiar story.

They’ve got a new President, but there’s still much to do.

Today’s foreign-policy disputes rarely consider the way America’s response to one crisis might affect another.