THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY-JUNE 2026 25 institutions and international law; its historic support for open trade and economic interdependence; and its promotion of liberal-democratic values as a strategic asset. On all three fronts, the report argues, the current administration has not merely adjusted policy but broken with the underlying premises. At the conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany had begun confidential talks with France about a European nuclear deterrent and called on the U.S. to “repair and revive trans-Atlantic trust.” French President Emmanuel Macron argued that Europe must become a geopolitical power in its own right. And Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the trans-Atlantic relationship as facing “a defining moment” while reaffirming that the United States’ and Europe’s futures remain linked. The report notes that China now surpasses the U.S. in the number of diplomatic missions worldwide. High-profile negotiations, the report observes, are increasingly handled by special envoys operating outside the normal State Department structure. The report frames this reduced diplomatic footprint as a substantive U.S. retreat from global engagement at a moment when that engagement is most needed. USAID Cuts Leave Global Media in Crisis A report published this spring by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace finds that the elimination of U.S. foreign assistance to independent media has left news organizations across 41 countries in turmoil, with many on the brink of collapse. Based on interviews and a survey of 168 media outlets, the report chronicles the fallout from the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which was absorbed into the State Department in July 2025. The U.S. spent as much as $258 million on media development in 2024 through USAID and the State Department, funding journalism training, broadcasting infrastructure, and direct support to independent outlets in Libya, Ukraine, El Salvador, Zambia, and elsewhere. The report argues the investment served both democratic values and concrete U.S. strategic interests, including countering Russian disinformation and undermining extremist narratives in the Middle East and East Africa. With that support gone, the report finds, European donors and private foundations have not stepped in to fill the gap. The report identifies one remaining source of institutional support: The National Endowment for Democracy, which is funded by Congress but operates independently of the executive branch, continues to provide roughly $30 million annually in direct grants to media organizations facing authoritarian pressure or armed conflict, and has so far withstood administration efforts to claw back its funding. Atlantic Council Survey: A Darker World Ahead Global security experts expect the world to be worse off a decade from now, according to the Atlantic Council’s Global Foresight 2036 survey, published in February. The survey polled 447 geostrategists Site of the Month: Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network The appearance of a particular site or podcast is for information only and does not constitute an endorsement. The Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) is a widely respected bipartisan coalition in Washington, D.C., dedicated to reforming and modernizing international assistance. United around the principles of accountability and country ownership, MFAN brings together diverse perspectives and nonpartisan experts—including practitioners and partners with direct field experience—who understand development and humanitarian programs from policy through implementation. At a time of uncertainty for international assistance, this network joins with its members and partners, Congress, and federal agencies, to deliver practical, timely policy recommendations that elevate what works, strengthen impact where needed, and promote the effective use of taxpayer resources. Recent publications include an operational road map for governmentto-government assistance, policy commentary on aid in an era of disruption, and recommendations for strengthening international development expertise at the State Department. To find out more about MFAN’s mission and efforts, visit https:// modernizeaid.net/.
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