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Articles by David Ignatius
The Empty Classrooms of ‘American Hagwon’
United States South Korea One of the first places I was made aware of my race was the classroom. Placed in a cohort for so-called gifted children, I quickly understood that while my white classmates were considered gifted because they were naturally inclined or exceptionally hard workers, my academic aptitude was seen as a facet of my ethnic background. My classmates’ parents would pry, asking about my standardized test scores only to wave them off as a result of my supposed cultural upbringing.
Trump’s Election Meddling Lies Mostly in Ruins
Elections United States For the past year, President Donald Trump has been waging a multifront campaign to rewrite the rules for the 2026 midterm elections and avoid a GOP wipeout. But so far, thanks to determined legal resistance, he has failed in nearly every phase of his assault. The failure of his long battle to impose new election controls that would favor Republicans would be among the most significant setbacks of Trump’s presidency.
The Plan to End the Ukraine War
U.S. Foreign Policy Foreign & Public Diplomacy United States Russia Europe Ukraine Maybe it’s a measure of Ukraine’s wartime success that President Donald Trump has moved from deriding President Volodymyr Zelensky more than 18 months ago as a weakling with “no cards” to protesting his devastating attacks on Russian refineries. Last weekend, Trump’s abiding irritation with Zelensky led him into a diesel oil deal with Moscow that sharply undercuts a Russia sanctions law that Trump just signed.
Russian Public Attention to Ukraine War Drops
The Russian public’s attention to the country’s war against Ukraine has hit a record low, according to the latest Levada Center poll released this week. In September 2026, the share of Russians who follow the war closely reached a low of 42%, the lowest since measurements began in March 2022.
The Good, Bad, and Dangerous in Hegseth’s Pentagon Overhaul
Military United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is at war. The enemy, for better or worse, is the U.S. military leadership and its traditional structure for promotions, training and procurement. Hegseth announced his latest assault in a speech Wednesday afternoon to a cheering audience of junior officers and enlisted men and women. He mixed predictable rants about the media and “woke” ideology with genuinely radical calls for reforming how the military buys and uses technology.
Trump, Putin y Xi: el crepúsculo de una era autocrática
WASHINGTON.– Parece que vivimos en la era de los autócratas, en la que los presidentes Donald Trump, Xi Jinping y Vladimir Putin dominan el escenario mundial. La reunión de esta semana de la Asamblea General de la ONU en Nueva York parece un mero espectáculo secundario frente al verdadero juego de poder de la cumbre entre Trump y Xi. Pero las apariencias engañan: este podría ser el ocaso de la era de los dictadores, no su amanecer.
High-Pressure Campaign: What Technologies the Kremlin Tested in the State Duma Elections
This article was originally published by Carnegie Politika and was machine-translated from Russian.
Autocrats Are Not as Immovable as They Seem
United States China Russia We seem to be living in the age of the autocrats, where Presidents Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin bestride the globe. The gathering this week of the U.N. General Assembly in New York seems a mere sideshow to the real power game at the Trump-Xi summit. But appearances can be deceptive: This may be the twilight of the dictators’ era, not the dawn.
Why Washington Should Work With AI Giants
Science and Technology United States Should we worry about the dangers posed by artificial intelligence? Of course we should. But a greater worry for me right now is the failure of human intelligence to control this amazing technology wisely. We have a dangerous combination of very smart machines and very dumb political leaders. Last weekend brought what seemed like a breakthrough moment of human rationality.
How the US Can Alter Putin’s Calculus on Ukraine
Thomas Graham says Washington’s task is “to reconfigure the matrix confronting Putin” so that ending the war short of his maximal goals becomes “his best geopolitical option.” He proposes “three principles: resistance, deterrence, and dialogue.” • Graham writes that resistance requires “ample support for Ukraine’s war effort,” including weapons, intelligence assistance and continued access to Starlink.
IGNATIUS COLUMN: When the rogue agents become superintelligent
Here’s what we’ve learned about advanced artificial intelligence systems in several frightening incidents this summer: They lie about how they operate, they cheat to accomplish their goals, they conspire with each other to cover up deceptions, and they don’t tell humans about their unethical behavior.
The Dangerous Fantasy of a Win-Win With Putin
September 11, 2026 This article was originally published by The Washington Post. Fareed Zakaria writes that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner view Russia as a potential partner and seek “‘win-win’ solutions with Putin.” In contrast, Putin “has never claimed to be a businessman searching for deals,” according to Zakaria.
Jerome Powell’s 4 Rules for Surviving Trump
Why was former Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell able to stand up to President Donald Trump when so many others capitulated—and what are the lessons for other government officials, including Powell’s successor, Kevin Warsh? Powell’s core strength was his refusal to negotiate on matters of principle. You might call it “The Art of No Deal.” Regardless of the pressure, he wouldn’t compromise the Fed’s power to set monetary policy.
La ausencia de Estados Unidos está propiciando la guerra que más teme Europa
WASHINGTON.- Este es el escenario de un juego de guerra realizado el lunes por un grupo de actuales miembros del Congreso y exfuncionarios militares, diplomáticos y de inteligencia de Estados Unidos. Estamos en 2028, la guerra en Ucrania sigue empantanada en un sangriento punto muerto y Rusia ve una oportunidad de fragmentar todavía más a Europa mediante un ataque contra Moldavia. Uno de sus drones impacta contra un depósito de combustible en Rumania, un miembro de la OTAN, y mata a civiles.
Washington’s Absence Is Inviting the War Europe Fears Most
U.S. Foreign Policy United States Russia Europe Ukraine Here’s the scenario of a war game played Monday by a group of current members of Congress and former U.S. military, diplomatic, and intelligence officials. It’s 2028, the Ukraine war remains a bloody stalemate, and Russia sees a chance to further splinter Europe by attacking Moldova. One of its drones hits a fuel depot in Romania, a NATO member, killing civilians. What does the United States do?
Channel 24 Interview With Valerii Zaluzhnyi
This interview was originally published by Ukraine's Channel 24 and has been machine-transcribed and translated.
Zaluzhnyi: Don’t Believe Fairy Tales, Ukraine Will Never Become a NATO Member
This interview was originally published by European Pravda and has been machine translated.
Why a Weaker Russia Keeps Fighting
Economy, demographics, military metrics and more—key quantitative data on Russia and its peers around the world.
How the Greenland standoff pushed Europe to prep for war with the U.S.
How the Greenland standoff pushed Europe to prep for war with the U.S. (washingtonpost.com) How the Greenland standoff pushed Europe to prep for war with the U.S. By David Ignatius 2026072322140300 It's a strange twist of history that the barren Danish territory of Greenland, a "big, beautiful piece of ice" in the words of President Donald Trump, marked an inflection point in Trump's foreign policy.
Trump’s support for Lebanon is worth cheering
Trump’s support for Lebanon is worth cheering (washingtonpost.com) Trump’s support for Lebanon is worth cheering By David Ignatius 2026072123000200 We've watched some horror shows in the Oval Office over the past 18 months, but Tuesday's visit by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was a moment to celebrate. Aoun came away with a pledge of support from President Donald Trump that could help rescue his country from a half-century of chaos.
Opinion: Column by David Ignatius
Three words of advice for President Donald Trump as he tries to extricate himself from the mess of the Iran war: Just stop talking. Let America’s overwhelming military and economic power do the work. Trump’s daily barrage of bluster and braggadocio amounts to negotiating with himself. He declares victory one day, resumes war the next.
Europa se prepara para una provocación rusa: por qué la guerra de Ucrania está más cerca que nunca de extenderse a otros países
Una Rusia acorralada podría evaluar intensificar el conflicto en otras regiones Personal de los servicios de emergencia trabaja para extinguir un incendio tras los ataques con misiles rusos en Kiev, Ucrania, el 6 de julio de 2026 WASHINGTON.- La guerra en Ucrania podría estar entrando en una nueva y peligrosa fase, ya que una Rusiaacorralada parece estar evaluando si intensificar el conflicto mediante ataques limitados o incursiones militares contra países europeos de la OTAN, como los...
Europe Braces for a Russian Provocation
The Ukraine war may be entering a dangerous new phase as an embattled Russia appears to be weighing whether to escalate the conflict with limited strikes or military incursions against European NATO countries such as the Baltic states or Poland - betting that the United States wouldn’t intervene.
Un brindis por los 250 años de Estados Unidos, brillante y decadente a la vez Original
“Brilla, república que perece”, escribió el poeta Robinson Jeffers en 1925 sobre la corrupta América de los “locos años veinte”, a la que temía “engrosándose pesadamente hacia el imperio”. Sobrevivimos a esa degradación, como sobreviviremos a la actual. Pero los sentimientos gemelos de Jeffers deberían guiarnos al celebrar nuestro 250.º aniversario: brillamos como nación. Pero también nos degradamos.
A toast to America at 250, glowing and decaying all at once
A toast to America at 250, glowing and decaying all at once (washingtonpost.com) A toast to America at 250, glowing and decaying all at once By David Ignatius 2026070219480400 "Shine, Perishing Republic," wrote the poet Robinson Jeffers in 1925 about a corrupt Roaring Twenties America that he feared was "heavily thickening to empire." We survived that degradation, just as we will the present. But Jeffers's twin sentiments should guide us as we celebrate our 250th birthday: We glow as a nation.
A punching bag. ‘A graveyard.’ A new temptation for Trump.
A punching bag. ‘A graveyard.’ A new temptation for Trump. (washingtonpost.com) A punching bag. ‘A graveyard.’ A new temptation for Trump. By David Ignatius 2026062510011600 In 1983, I wrote an article for Foreign Affairs magazine with the comically naive title, "How to Rebuild Lebanon." The task seemed obvious: The United States needed to help this fragile little country reclaim its sovereignty and become a nation again, rather than a punching bag for the region's warring powers.
Here’s how to tell if Trump’s threadbare Iran deal is holding
Here’s how to tell if Trump’s threadbare Iran deal is holding (washingtonpost.com) Here’s how to tell if Trump’s threadbare Iran deal is holding By David Ignatius 2026061820530100 President Donald Trump deserves the scorn he's receiving from the left and right for pretending that his exit ramp from the Iran war is some kind of victory. But schadenfreude is not a strategy.
How the Trump Administration Built Its Exit Ramp in Iran
U.S. Foreign Policy Iran Listening to U.S. and Arab negotiators recount inside details of their long, zigzag bargaining with Iran over the past five months, I have the sense that the framework announced Sunday isn’t the end of this story but an intermediate step—one that could ultimately prove a dismal failure or, the Trump administration hopes, the start of an extraordinary transformation toward a modern Iran.
Trump and Putin’s Forever Wars
Look at our battered world, and you see two presidents, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, caught in wars that they are struggling to finish. There’s a common theme with the Iran and Ukraine conflicts that we might call “the power trap.” These two men can’t escape the consequences of their mistakes. Both leaders thought their enemies would capitulate in weeks. Both ignored advisers who warned that victory wouldn’t come so easily.
Chat with David Ignatius about the war in Ukraine and foreign affairs
Chat with David Ignatius about the war in Ukraine and foreign affairs David’s live chat with readers starts at 12 p.m. ET on Monday. Submit your questions. June 15, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. EDT
Ignatius: Loyal, vengeful, inexperienced. Meet your new spy chief
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... “The acting director of political retribution.” Sadly, that might be the best shorthand title for the official chosen to oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies. Our new spy chief has zero intelligence experience but a stellar record as a political loyalist to President Donald Trump.
Ignatius: A new American industrial revolution is brewing
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... PITTSBURGH Watching a nimble robot check for flaws along the side of a massive steel tube crafted to simulate the reactor of a nuclear submarine, you see a snapshot of the revolution in manufacturing and maintenance that could transform the gritty, routine tasks of the defense industry — and perhaps American manufacturing, as well. The robot I’m watching was built by a Pittsburgh start-up called Gecko Robotics.
What Trump’s Spy Chief Pick Signals
U.S. Foreign Policy United States “The Acting Director of Political Retribution.” Sadly, that might be the best shorthand title for the official chosen Tuesday to oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies. Our new spy chief has zero intelligence experience but a stellar record as a political loyalist to President Donald Trump.
Ignatius: Trump’s Iran exit ramp is a risky bet
President Donald Trump appears to be nearing an escape ramp from the Iran war, but it’s one that represents a risky bet that Tehran’s divided leadership will opt for postwar modernization rather than continuing conflict with the United States and Israel. Like most peace deals, the framework described by U.S. officials Sunday would be a series of compromises, well short of the capitulation that Trump sought when he joined Israel in launching the war on Feb. 28.
Ignatius: The Trump-Xi narrative isn’t true. America keeps falling uphill
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Imagine for a moment that you are an intelligence analyst at China’s Ministry of State Security. Your boss, Minister Chen Yixin, has just given you a potential career-killer of an assignment: Assess the relative strengths of the United States and China after the summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. As a good intelligence analyst, you know all the upbeat metrics that are pumped out by Beijing and increasingly accepted by Western observers.
La vía de escape de Trump en Irán riesgosa. Pero no tiene una alternativa mejor
El presidente Donald Trump parece estar cerca de encontrar una rampa de salida de la guerra con Irán, pero se trata de una apuesta riesgosa: confiar en que el liderazgo dividido de Teherán opte por la modernización de posguerra en lugar de continuar el conflicto con Estados Unidos e Israel.
Harvard has a defense-tech incubator. Pete Hegseth should visit it.
Harvard has a defense-tech incubator. Pete Hegseth should visit it. (washingtonpost.com) Harvard has a defense-tech incubator. Pete Hegseth should visit it. By David Ignatius 2026051411160400 Second of two columns on transformation in defense technology and manufacturing. CAMBRIDGE, Mass.
Ukraine took Russia’s best punch. It wants to teach Europe what it learned.
Ukraine took Russia’s best punch. It wants to teach Europe what it learned. (washingtonpost.com) Ukraine took Russia’s best punch. It wants to teach Europe what it learned. By David Ignatius 2026042811160400 KYIV — Strange as it sounds, it's uplifting to visit Ukraine these days. This is a place where the good guys are winning — or at least holding their own. And they're surviving with help from a stalwart Europe rather than a retreating United States.
Both Sides Want a Deal. Both Keep Acting As if They Don’t.
Foreign & Public Diplomacy United States Iran Think of all the sparring ahead of the second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations as the World Series of Brinkmanship. The two sides are on a slippery slope above an abyss, and they bizarrely seem convinced that it’s the path to success rather than disaster.
Ignatius: What will Trump do if Putin attacks Europe?
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Russian President Vladimir Putin, always paranoid about enemies, may be feeling cornered this spring. His army is at a standstill in Ukraine, despite suffering enormous casualties. He appears powerless to help Iran, one of his few allies. And his best friend in Europe, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, just got dumped. Worse problems are probably ahead. The Russian economy, despite a momentary windfall from the spike in oil prices, is a mess.
What Would Trump Do if Putin Struck Europe?
Geopolitics United States Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin, always paranoid about enemies, may be feeling cornered this spring. His army is at a standstill in Ukraine, despite suffering enormous casualties. He appears powerless to help Iran, one of his few allies. And his best friend in Europe, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, just got dumped. Worse problems are probably ahead. The Russian economy, despite a momentary windfall from the spike in oil prices, is a mess.
Quel che è successo a Islamabad e che cosa Trump vuole provare ora
Dopo il fallimento dei negoziati per il mancato accordo sul nucleare iraniano ora l'obiettivo del tycoon non è il conflitto armato, ma stringere in una morsa economica un Iran duramente provato, per vedere se i suoi leader sceglieranno una rotta diversa in vista di un accordo ampio e complessivo Ultimo aggiornamento: 03:11 PM “Eccoci qui, l’incontro è andato bene”, ha dichiarato il Grande Narratore (Donald Trump, ndr) poche ore dopo che la maratona negoziale con l’Iran – iniziata sabato a...
What Really Happened in Islamabad—and What Trump Is Trying Now
Foreign & Public Diplomacy United States Iran “There you have it, the meeting went well,” declared the Great Narrator a few hours after Saturday’s marathon, 21-hour negotiation with Iran ended. “Most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not.” So—wham!—President Donald Trump announced that to get a better deal he was blockading the Strait of Hormuz.
What really happened in Islamabad — and what Trump is trying now
What really happened in Islamabad — and what Trump is trying now (washingtonpost.com) What really happened in Islamabad — and what Trump is trying now By David Ignatius 2026041220400300 "There you have it, the meeting went well," declared the Great Narrator a few hours after Saturday's marathon, 21-hour negotiation with Iran ended.
Ignatius: Iran war’s exit ramp has become a diplomatic maze
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Diplomats like ambiguity. But as President Donald Trump’s emissaries try to craft a permanent ceasefire agreement in the Iran war, they will need certainty about one essential detail: safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. So far, that seems to be a shimmering mirage.
The Iran War’s Exit Ramp Has Become a Diplomatic Maze
U.S. Foreign Policy Foreign & Public Diplomacy Geopolitics United States Iran Diplomats like ambiguity. But as President Donald Trump’s emissaries try to craft a permanent ceasefire agreement in the Iran war, they will need certainty about one essential detail: safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. So far, that seems to be a shimmering mirage.
The Iran war’s exit ramp has become a diplomatic maze
The Iran war’s exit ramp has become a diplomatic maze (washingtonpost.com) The Iran war’s exit ramp has become a diplomatic maze By David Ignatius 2026040823130500 Diplomats like ambiguity. But as President Donald Trump's emissaries try to craft a permanent ceasefire agreement in the Iran war, they will need certainty about one essential detail: safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. So far, that seems to be a shimmering mirage.
The Iran war is a hostage crisis
The Iran war is a hostage crisis (washingtonpost.com) The Iran war is a hostage crisis By David Ignatius 2026033122140300 "America held hostage!" That grim nightly message from ABC's Ted Koppel transfixed the nation during the Iran hostage crisis nearly five decades ago. You can almost hear a similar chorus now during the Iran crisis — with an impatient edge that's making the United States' predicament even worse.
Ignatius: Trump isn’t hiding his election power grab
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Trump administration’s election incursion, unlike its haphazard “excursion” in Iran, has been meticulously organized. For more than a year, administration officials have advanced a careful, multifront assault in an effort to impose new rules for November’s midterm balloting. Planning began soon after Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
Trump isn’t hiding his election power grab. He’s bragging about it.
Trump isn’t hiding his election power grab. He’s bragging about it. (washingtonpost.com) Trump isn’t hiding his election power grab. He’s bragging about it. By David Ignatius 2026032622310400 The Trump administration's election incursion, unlike its haphazard "excursion" in Iran, has been meticulously organized. For more than a year, administration officials have advanced a careful, multifront assault in an effort to impose new rules for November's midterm balloting.
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