Paul J. Saunders

Paul J. Saunders is executive director of The Center for the National Interest and associate publisher of The National Interest. He served in the State Department from 2003 to 2005.


Essays

One doesn’t need to be a Russian domestic radical or a foreign Russophobe to see major flaws in the way Russia is ruled. The population, however, is satisfied with the status quo...for now.

Admitting Georgia to the NATO club wouldn't have prevented the recent crisis in the region, and could have even made it worse.

In an election year, it's easy to find cheerleaders—but America needs chess players in order to succeed.

A New Year's resolution is in store for U.S. foreign policy.

The United States can’t bring the democratic nations of the world together—why should we expect it to lead the way for everyone else?

Reviews

Tom DeLay may not see any problems with the phrase, "one vote, one person, one time", but the rest of America might.

Commentary

Weak reporting in The Washington Post attempts to mask the sad state of U.S.-Russia relations.

The Chen incident demonstrates that President Obama's stumbling China policy is anything but realist.

How Obama's wishful thinking and Putin's victory have deepend the fundamental dilemma of U.S.-Russian relations.

Russian media insults directed at the new U.S. ambassador send a message about lingering problems in the U.S.-Russia relationship.

A look at the Russian power players in the wake of December's protests.

Blog Posts

Dan Drezner's critique of "Giving Realists a Bad Name" reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of realist foreign policy.

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May 26, 2012