The Foreign Service Journal, December 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2016 15 ment to ending the conflict along with a military de-escalation on the ground. Have an Honest Talk About Europe. U.S. policy should aim to insulate Euro- pean allies against Russian action in the short term, while laying the groundwork for a stronger European security frame- work. Push for More Arms Control. Work with Russia in Asia. Pursue flexible coalitions with major powers in the region, including Russia, to balance China’s growing influence for the benefit of Washington. Recognize That Syria Is About More Than Syria. The Syrian crisis is urgent. The United States must try to work with Russia, and must be willing to discuss the broader relationship with Russia, espe- cially as it relates to Europe. Show America’s Promise. The U.S. administration needs to tackle domes- tic and global challenges in a way that shows that the United States can lead by example. —Shawn Dorman, Editor Landmark Climate Change Deal Reached in Kigali O n Oct. 15, more than 170 countries — including the United States — agreed to a landmark deal in Kigali, Rwanda, to counter climate change. An amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the new agreement will limit hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions, commonly from air conditioners and refrigerators. Thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide and, according to the United Nations Environment Program, the fastest growing greenhouse gas, HFCs are especially threatening to the environ- ment. Under the terms of the agreement, developed countries vowed to stop production of HFCs by 2019; and more than 100 developing countries (including Brazil and China, the world’s largest pro- ducer of carbon dioxide) agreed to peak HFC levels by 2024, which could prevent up to .9 degrees Fahrenheit of global warming by the end of this century. The Kigali agreement was reached only days after ratification of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the tem- perature increase and improve countries’ capabilities to deal with climate change. Despite the small physical amount of HFCs in the atmosphere, the deal is expected to reduce greenhouse gases by the equivalent of 70 billion tons of carbon dioxide. There was some pushback from countries that would benefit substantially from increased access to air conditioning, including India, Pakistan and some Gulf states. Claire Perry of the Environmental Investigation Agency acknowledged that some compromises had to be made. “But 85 percent of developing countries have committed to the early schedule starting in 2024,” she continued, “which is a very significant achievement.” —Katherine Perroots, Editorial Intern U.S. Abstains from Cuba Embargo Vote F or the first time ever, the United States abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution calling for an end to its economic embargo of Cuba on Oct. 26. The resolution, titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,” has been put forward annually since 1992. And Washington has opposed it every time. President Barack Obama announced the restoration of diplomatic relations