Diplomacy

The Washington Post reports: Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a plan Tuesday to significantly reorganize the State Department, saying the redesign would reverse “decades of bloat and bureaucracy” within the agency. The effort targets some human rights programs and others focused on war crimes and democracy, according to internal documents shared with The Washington Post. One document purporting to …

The New York Times reports: A draft of a Trump administration executive order proposes a drastic restructuring of the State Department, including eliminating almost all of its Africa operations and shutting down embassies and consulates across the continent. The draft also calls for cutting offices at State Department headquarters that address climate change and refugee issues, as well as democracy …

Politico reports: The proposal for fiscal 2026 would allocate $28.4 billion to State and USAID, down from $54.4 billion in the enacted fiscal 2025 budget. That includes cuts demanded by the White House Office of Management and Budget. The proposal would eliminate or substantially cut numerous programs, including ones that promote democracy, support educational and cultural exchanges, fight drug trafficking …

Axios reports: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that voting to approve Rubio’s nomination in January was “a mistake.” “I think a lot of us thought that Marco Rubio was going to stand up to Donald Trump” on issues like Russia’s years-long war in Ukraine, Murphy said. “I thought when Donald Trump decided to …

The Daily Beast reports: Chris LaCivita [photo], who helped lead Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, called Lord Peter Mandelson “an absolute moron” after learning that the incoming U.K. ambassador to the U.S. once said Trump was “little short of a white nationalist.” In a post on X, LaCivita condemned Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s choice to replace Dame Karen Pierce, which …

Politico reports: President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is selecting former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Ronald Johnson to be the next U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Johnson, a Green Beret who spent more than 20 years at the Central Intelligence Agency before a diplomatic posting in San Salvador, would bring significant foreign policy expertise to one of the most …

NBC News reports: As foreign governments prepare to deal with a second Trump administration, at least one key U.S. ally is hoping to make headway on the fairway. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol “got out his golf clubs for the first time in eight years and resumed his golf practice” as he gets ready to meet President-elect Donald Trump …

Reuters reports: Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Wednesday he will break diplomatic relations with Israel over its actions in Gaza. Petro has already heavily criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and requested to join South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice. “Here in front of you, the government of change, of the president …

The Jerusalem Post reports: The United States will change its policy toward Gaza unless Israel takes immediate steps to better protect Palestinian civilians there, US President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a terse brief call on Thursday night. “With regard to our policy in the Gaza Strip… if we don’t see the changes that we need to …

Axios reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to send two top Israeli officials to Washington as early as next week for talks about a possible military operation in Rafah, four U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios. It’s a sharp reversal by Netanyahu who on Monday canceled the same trip by the same people in protest over the U.S. …

“The Embassy of Japan in the United States is aware of recent media reports concerning the steps Taylor Swift will need to take to travel from Tokyo after her concert on February 10th to Las Vegas in time to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play in Super Bowl LVIII. “Despite the 12-hour flight and 17-hour time difference, the Embassy can …

Reuters reports: Eight European diplomats interviewed by Reuters said there were doubts about whether Trump would honor Washington’s commitment to defend NATO allies and acute fears he would cut off aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia. One diplomat, whose country is a NATO member, and one other diplomat in Washington said their missions have outlined in diplomatic cables …

NBC News reports: The White House has been working urgently in the past 24 hours to get a Senate confirmation process in motion for President Joe Biden’s nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Israel, according to two White House officials. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is now expected to hold a confirmation hearing for Jack Lew, a former Treasury secretary …

CNN reports: The White House is shrugging off concerns the United Nations General Assembly won’t pack a policy punch this year, with President Joe Biden set to deliver an address Tuesday to an audience missing several key heads of state. In remarks to the 78th UN General Assembly, Biden, a senior administration official told reporters, “will lay out for the …

Bloomberg News reports: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he wants US President Joe Biden to be re-elected because the Democrat is better for America, adding that former President Donald Trump stands for a “great division” in his country which would also be bad for Germany. In unusually blunt words about an election in an allied nation, Scholz on Monday made …

Gothamist reports: New York City plans to offer free abortion pills at four sexual health clinics as early as Wednesday, a city-funded expansion that seeks to break down barriers to abortion in low-income communities, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday. “New York City has always been a beacon of leadership in this nation, and we’re going to continue to lead,” said …

The Associated Press reports: The State Department said Thursday it has adopted Turkey’s preferred spelling for the name of the country, Turkiye, acceding to a request from the NATO ally after several months of hesitation. The department has instructed that new official documents refer to Turkiye instead of Turkey, although the pronunciation will not change, officials said. The move comes …

The Wall Street Journal reports: In April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked the international community to recognize his nation by its traditional name, spelled “Türkiye” and pronounced Tour-key-yeh. His government promoted the shift as an effort to instill national pride—and silence associations with the Thanksgiving bird and pejorative uses of the word “turkey.” An article published by the website …

Politico Europe reports: The Kremlin has banned most, if not all, of Ireland’s leaders from visiting Russia — a punishment being met with official indifference and unofficial mockery in Dublin. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow defended Wednesday’s action as necessary to counteract what it called Ireland’s “aggressive anti-Russian propaganda campaign” and “Russophobic hysteria in Irish society.” Outside the chamber, politicians …

Politico Europe reports: Foreign heads of state and their spouses heading to London for the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II have been asked to arrive in the U.K. on commercial flights and banned from using helicopters to get around. World leaders have also been told they cannot use their own state cars to attend the funeral at Westminster Abbey …