A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.
U.S.-Russia Nuclear Pact Is A ‘Reset’ For Old Rivals
The U.S. and Russia signed their first strategic arms treaty in nearly two decades on Thursday, aiming to draw down their nuclear arsenals by as much as one-third while forging improved relations between the former Cold War rivals.
Did Moscow Subvert a U.S. Central Asian Ally?
The Americans have been pushing to maintain their cherished military base in the north of Kyrgyzstan, without which U.S. supply lines to the nearby war in Afghanistan would be significantly hampered. Russia, meanwhile, has lobbied to kick the American military out of what it still sees as its sphere of influence in the territories of the former Soviet Union.
Democracy is not an end in itself
Democracy is a mechanism for resolving competing interests and giving a voice to those who would otherwise have no stake in the system. At the very least it's a lot better than tyranny. At it's best it can bring a resolution to the internal strains of a country. But it is not an end in itself.
China 60, U.S. 0: Culture centers in other’s country
Members of Congress have urged China, which has set up 60 cultural centers in the United States, to allow more than the four American centers it says can operate in China. However, the State Department has no funds to match what China is spending on those projects, the officials say.
Our giant step towards a world free from nuclear danger
This agreement is just one of several concrete steps the United States is taking to make good on President Obama's pledge to make America and the world safer by reducing the threat of nuclear weapons, proliferation and terrorism.
The Karzai Fiasco
President Obama isn't faring too well at converting enemies to friends, but he does seem to have a talent for turning friends into enemies. The latest spectacle is the all-too-public and counterproductive war of words between the White House and our putative ally, Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The only winner so far in this spat is the Taliban.
Pak-US Ties Looking Up
The US and Pakistan finally seem to be moving in the right direction. This was a clear indication at the end of their recent "strategic dialogue" in Washington. For Pakistan, a realistic expectation from this dialogue had been its transformation into a wider "strategic partnership" with clearly defined sectoral goalposts and priorities. This is exactly what happened
A Treaty With No Losers
More than year has passed since U.S. Vice President Joe Biden announced in at the Munich security conference a “reset” in U.S.-Russian relations. Five months after Biden’s speech, Russia allowed the United States and other NATO allies to transport supplies through Russian territory to Afghanistan, and this was a welcome breakthrough in bilateral relations. But on Thursday, the two countries will hit a much larger reset button: Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev will sign the New START agreement in Prague.
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