Geopolitical Perspectives - WestExec Advisors

Julie Smith quoted in The Washington Post article, “China’s Campaign of ‘Genocide’ Could Bring the U.S. and E.U. Closer Together”

"A major problem, for now, is that Trump is a woeful standard-bearer of human rights and liberal values on the world stage, and his heavy-handed approach to Europe has impaired more substantive cooperation regarding China, said Julie Smith of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. "The Trump administration has 'spent far less time engaging European friends and partners on human rights issues, talking about things like Hong Kong, Taiwan and the situation of the Uighurs,' she said. A Democratic [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-07-10T09:43:47-04:00June 30, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Puneet Talwar writes in Foreign Affairs: “Iran and the United States Can’t See Each Other Clearly”

"Just before the novel coronavirus pandemic struck, the United States and Iran appeared to be set on a collision course. COVID-19 quickly displaced such concerns from international headlines. But as the world prepares for further outbreaks of the disease in the months ahead, it should similarly brace for tensions between the United States and Iran to flare up again. Domestic political dynamics in the two countries risk fueling a cycle of escalation. Each side is digging in and making decisions based [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-07-10T09:16:55-04:00June 29, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in NPR broadcast, “Trump Administration Says It’s Up To Israel To Annex Parts Of West Bank”

"A former Obama administration official, Michèle Flournoy, tells the Israel Policy Forum that both the U.S. and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu need to consider the concerns from Arab partners who support Palestinian aspirations for independence. "'You know, these countries may not be full-fledged democracies or democracies at all, but they do have to care about their street. And these leaders will not have the political maneuver room to continue investing in their relationship with Israel if Netanyahu and his government [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T08:51:42-04:00June 24, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Julie Smith quoted in POLITICO article, “Trump’s Foreign Friends Race to Lock in Gains”

“‘It’s hard to name too many European countries that don’t have a ruptured relationship with the Trump administration. Poland is an exception,' said Julianne Smith, a former Obama appointee and top Pentagon official who described the decision to host Duda at the White House days before his election as 'shocking.' "An agreement on Fort Trump or increased U.S. troop presence may be far from certain, as there are some complex issues to settle -- who will foot the bill, for example [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T08:59:42-04:00June 24, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Ely Ratner quoted in New York Magazine article, “China Is Going to Be a Big Issue in the 2020 Campaign. But What Does That Mean?”

"Trade still lingers as an issue for Trump, too. The victory he hoped to herald with 'phase one' of his trade deal could unravel in the response to the coronavirus, dealing another blow to a weak farm economy. As Ely Ratner, a former senior adviser to Biden described Trump’s dilemma to Intelligencer, 'On the one hand, he’s sitting on this totally empty trade deal, but on the other hand, it’s the only thing he can talk about as a concrete agreement.' [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T09:04:52-04:00June 23, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Ely Ratner quoted in The Washington Post article, “Bolton Revelations Undercut Trump’s Reelection Message of Toughness on China”

“‘The revelations were shocking to read but they basically confirm everything we already knew about Trump’s approach to China — his total disregard for human rights and the political motivation for the trade deal,' said Ely Ratner, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security, who served as Biden’s deputy national security adviser from 2015 to 2017. “'Anybody paying attention can see the contrast also between the Cabinet officials who are outspoken on some issues and the president’s [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T09:01:31-04:00June 19, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Matt Waxman hosts The Lawfare Podcast, “Mira Rapp-Hooper on ‘Shields of the Republic'”

"Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper is the Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the new book, 'Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America's Alliances.' Matthew Waxman spoke with Mira about the history and strategic importance of American alliances, some of the constitutional issues alliances raise and what the United States should do to revitalize its alliances going forward..." Listen to the full episode here: Full Episode

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T08:54:58-04:00June 19, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in the Wall Street Journal article, “Pompeo, Top Chinese Envoy Meet Amid Heightened Tensions”

“‘The big issues on China’s mind are Hong Kong, Taiwan and the economy,' said Daniel Russel, who served as the top State Department official for Asia during the Obama administration and is vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “‘It would be normal for Yang to use this meeting to lower the temperature on Hong Kong, reassuring Pompeo that the national security law is not as bad as people claim,' Mr. Russel said. “‘On Taiwan, expect him to try to [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T10:05:00-04:00June 18, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy participates in Carnegie Connects conversation, “The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy”

Michèle Flournoy, Jake Sullivan, Stephen Walt, and Aaron David Miller discuss "the future of U.S. foreign policy. Can America lead in this cruel and complicated world? How should it deploy its power and toward what ends? And how will the galactic challenges of domestic recovery influence America’s ability to play an influential global role..." Watch the full event here: Full Event

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T09:38:59-04:00June 18, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Ely Ratner quoted in the Wall Street Journal article, “A United Front on China Starts to Take Shape”

"China seldom explicitly links its sanctions to foreign-policy goals. This provides 'deniability and the flexibility to escalate and de-escalate at will,' Ely Ratner, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security, told Congress in 2018. China said its tariffs on Australian barley were the result of an anti-dumping investigation..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-06-26T11:39:25-04:00June 17, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|