diplomacy

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson makes his way to his seat before the Strategic Dialogue on Disrupting Transnational Criminal Organizations at the State Department on Dec. 14.

World News

For Rex Tillerson, A Rocky First Year As Trump's Secretary Of State

6:31pm December 27, 2017

by Michele Kelemen

Tillerson says he has scored no diplomatic wins for 2017 but believes his redesign plan will improve the State Department. Critics argue he has done so much damage that it may take years to recover.

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A picture taken from the Mount of Olives shows the Old City of Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock. President Trump on Wednesday recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, upending decades of U.S. policy and ignoring dire warnings from Arab and Western all

5 Key Points On Jerusalem

3:04pm December 06, 2017

Jerusalem has been contested for millennia and its status remains unresolved to this day. Here are some key things to understand about the disputed city.

Successive American presidents have signed waivers deferring a congressional act calling for the U.S. Embassy to be moved to Jerusalem. President Trump signed such a waiver in June, saying he wanted to give U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts

World News

Prospect Of U.S. Embassy Move To Jerusalem Worries Leaders In Middle East And Beyond

3:35pm December 05, 2017

by Daniel Estrin

The White House says President Trump will announce his decision on the embassy's location in the coming days. Key Arab and Muslim allies of the U.S. warn such a move could spark anger — or violence.

A man gets out of a Volvo 144 to head to a parade in Pyongyang in 2012. In the 1970s, North Korea ordered 1,000 Volvo 144s from Sweden. To this day, the cars have not been paid for.

World News

How 1,000 Volvos Ended Up In North Korea — And Made A Diplomatic Difference

3:30pm December 04, 2017

by Danny Hajek

In the 1970s, Sweden shipped Volvos to North Korea as part of an ill-fated trade deal. North Korea never paid for the cars. But Sweden remains an important Western diplomatic presence in Pyongyang.

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President Donald Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, listens to a question during a meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in the Oval Office on Monday. Tillerson, when asked Sunday whether Trump's respo

Are Trump's Foreign Policy Stumbles First-Year Growing Pains Or A Reason For Worry?

5:21pm August 30, 2017

by Michele Kelemen

University of Virginia historians say tumult isn't unexpected in the first year of a new administration. But there are questions about whether the Trump administration is prepared to handle crises.

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets President Trump's Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt in Jerusalem on June 21.

For New U.S. Mideast Peace Envoy, It Will Be A Long Road To 'Ultimate Deal'

8:04am July 23, 2017

by Daniel Estrin

For years, Jason Greenblatt was chief legal officer at the Trump Organization. Now his job is to help bring peace to the Middle East. His closeness to Trump may help, but it's no guarantee of success.

Anatoly Antonov smiles at an October 2016 briefing at Russia's Defense Ministry in Moscow. Antonov is "able to shift in a nanosecond from warmly charming to caustically sarcastic," says a former U.S. defense official.

Moscow's Likely New Ambassador To U.S.: 'Tough' And 'Not That Easy To Work With'

10:12am July 19, 2017

by Lucian Kim

"When you're not doing business, he is a very pleasant person to deal with," says a former Obama administration official. Otherwise, "he's a tough Russian negotiator, deeply suspicious of the U.S."

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Some U.S. diplomats have taken to Twitter this week to distance themselves from President Trump's recent tweets about global affairs.

In Response To Trump's Tweets, Some U.S. Envoys Push Back — Diplomatically

7:16pm June 06, 2017

by Michele Kelemen

The president's tweets are complicating the work of U.S. diplomats. Some are distancing themselves via their own tweets. They're "entitled to use social media," says the State Department spokeswoman.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson waits for the start of a meeting last month at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Tillerson is scheduled to travel to Russia on Tuesday, in what promises to be a difficult round of talks after the U.S. missile strike in S

Syria Casts Long Shadow Across Rex Tillerson's Big Trip To Italy And Russia

6:21pm April 10, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The secretary of state is meeting with G-7 diplomats, then heading to Moscow on Tuesday for some rather tough discussions. All the while, the U.S. strike on Syria is likely to be Item 1 on the agenda.

Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak arrives before President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.

Sessions Revelations Put 'Quiet, Behind-The-Scenes' Russian Envoy In Spotlight

7:14pm March 02, 2017

by Michele Kelemen

Jeff Sessions, now attorney general, met twice last year with Sergey Kislyak, Russia's U.S. ambassador. This has raised more questions about contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

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