Foreign Service

The last decade Thucydides has moved to the center of the discussion, with concepts like the "Thucydides trap" debated in policy circles in Washington, DC when looking at how to navigate US relations with a rising China in what appears to be a new era of great power competition.

So what can Thucydides tell us about our world today?

We've just seen consecutive visits to the US by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, with both officials discussing a series of issues - from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to trade and investments - with the White House, the State Department and Congress.

This new year finds Washington in a bind over how to effectively engage with Turkey, a trend we've documented for at least half a decade. The tug of war over Sweden and F16s, and Ankara's stance on the Arab-Israeli conflict, are the latest examples of this.

Is it time to reconsider Turkey's NATO membership? With the alliance having to constantly grapple with an uncooperative and at times even combative Turkish leader in President Erdogan, the question is as timely as ever.

When the White House calls, you answer - even if you don't want to. That's exactly Kate Wyler's (Keri Russell) sworn duty in "The Diplomat" when she's ordered to hop on the next flight to London instead of Afghanistan. A change of mission wasn't what she had in mind, and the new gig bears tectonic implications for her marriage and political future.

The Geneva summit could prove to be an inflection point in Russia-US relations, senior director for European affairs on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) in the Barack Obama administration Charles Kupchan told TASS, commenting on Wednesday's meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Joe Biden of the United States. 

The Kosovo Foreign Ministry on Friday promised to take action over false information that Jamaica had recognised the country's independence, which reportedly came from the ambassador in Washington.

An interesting article about the “Butter shortage” in France:

I knew the French consumed a lot of butter — as a Franco-American reporter in The Times’s Paris bureau covering France, I’m one of them. I settled here after years spent abroad as a Foreign Service brat, and I’ve developed quite a taste for the salted variety.

A very interesting article, gives us an insight of how a news report can mislead the public:

The new US ambassador to Bulgaria, Eric Rubin, arrived in Sofia on Wednesday with his wife Nicole Simmons.

One of his first tasks was to greet the followers of the embassy's Twitter account.

Rubin also appeared in a short video, greeting the Bulgarian people and expressing his desire to work towards a strong and productive partnership between Bulgaria and the United States.