America Reckons With Violence

Plus, what NATO gave Ukraine and why that matters. JULY 16, 2024  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Former U.S. President Donald Trump had long designated this week as when he would formally accept the Republican Party’s presidential nomination at its national convention in Milwaukee. He is now reportedly rewriting his speech to reflect on the attempt to kill him at a rally last Saturday. You can expect it to be defiant and fiery. Immediately after a bullet appeared to swipe his ear, a blood-smeared Trump—ever aware of the cameras—held his fist aloft as he yelled, “Fight!” even as his security detail ushered him to safety. It is undoubtedly going to be one of the defining images of the year. The shooting received uniform condemnation. But it has also generated a “This is not who we are” response, channeling a form of American exceptionalism in its suggestion that events such as these don’t happen in the United States. Not quite, according to the historian Julian E. Zelizer, who [reminds us]( about the country’s bloody legacy of political violence, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to those of James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. This, too, is America. When the past is too confusing, history can often offer some insight. The journalist Nick Bryant [writes]( in Foreign Policy: “The roots of modern-day polarization, and even the origins of former President Donald Trump, can be located in the country’s troubled birth.” Read on to try to make sense of where America is at—and what might happen next in an increasingly fraught election year.—The Editors   New and Noteworthy - [What NATO Gave Ukraine:]( Reporting from NATO’s 75th anniversary summit, FP’s Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer, and Rishi Iyengar delve into what was promised to Ukraine—[and notably, what wasn’t](—in a special edition of [Situation Report](. [Sign up]( for a weekly digest of national security, defense, and cybersecurity news, and catch up on all of [our analysis]( from last week’s summit. - [Your Next Page-Turner:]( Escape the heat with a [summer reading list]( curated by FP columnists and reporters. From a history of China’s tattooed soldiers to an ambitious modern epic, we can help find your next page-turner. - [The Modi-Putin Summit:]( Considering India’s deep-rooted ties to Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s [recent visit to Moscow]( “doesn’t bode quite as badly for Washington as some may think,” Michael Kugelman writes in the latest edition of [South Asia Brief](. [Sign up]( for news and analysis from India and neighboring countries in South Asia, a region home to one-fourth of the world’s population.   Save big with our summer flash sale. [Get 25% off an Annual subscription.](   [FP Live]( [Is Canada Free-Riding on Defense?]( On Demand While most NATO members are upping their defense spending to a minimum of 2 percent of their respective GDPs, Canada is increasingly seen as lagging behind. Can Canada up its contributions? And how is it thinking about security to its north, especially as climate change melts new passages into the Arctic ice and opens new routes for Russian aggression? On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, FP’s Ravi Agrawal put these and other questions to Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair. [Watch]( the conversation now, or [read]( the edited transcript. [How Platon Photographs Power]( On Demand July 24 Whether you know it or not, you’ve seen the work of portrait photographer Platon. Gracing magazine covers and protest signs, his photos of world leaders and cultural icons capture the truth behind the cliche that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Platon will sit down with FP’s Ravi Agrawal to describe what drives his art and how he connects with his subjects, no matter how powerful they may be. Look out for a freely available video on July 24.   Exercise Your Mind Kenyan President William Ruto took what step on Thursday to address deadly nationwide anti-tax protests? A. Recalled all Kenyan police officers stationed in Haiti B. Dismissed almost every member of his cabinet C. Submitted his own resignation D. Dissolved parliament You can find the answer to this question and learn more at the end of this email.   From the Summer 2024 Magazine Read on for a sneak peek of the article “[Who Will Still Fight for Europe?](” from a roundup of [nine expert perspectives]( on the future of European security and alliances. For a limited time, save 25% and unlock access to the full Summer 2024 issue, daily reports and analysis, on-demand conversations with geopolitical experts, and more for $199.99 $149.99. Act quickly to [save $50](. This offer ends tomorrow. In December 1989, standing in Vienna’s main railway terminus and looking at the trains full of people arriving from the collapsing communist states to the east, the British American historian Tony Judt decided that a new history of 20th-century Europe needed to be written. He called his opus Postwar—not simply to show how the European present was still shaped by the memories and legacies of World War II but also to demonstrate that Europe had become a place where, for most people, a major war on their continent had become unthinkable. A book on Europe’s 21st century, unfortunately, will require a different title. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has woken Europeans up to the reality that they are living in a prewar world, not a postwar one. Their long-held assumptions about war and peace in Europe are now a smoldering ruin, like so many Ukrainian cities… [KEEP READING](   Most Popular [A man walks past a billboard displaying a Russian military pilot and the letter Z, with a slogan in Russian that reads as “Everything will work out for us,” seen on a street in Moscow on August 24, 2022. ]( [Russians Expect Nothing From Putin’s War]( Political apathy is a psychological survival mechanism—and a possible route to peace. By Kristaps Andrejsons [A satirical float shows European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the annual carnival parade in Mainz, Germany, on Feb. 20, 2023. ]( [For Putin, the EU Is a Bigger Threat Than NATO]( The Kremlin fears the EU’s ability to spur deep political change. By Nicholas Lokker, Kate Johnston [Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah observes track laying of the East Coast Rail Link in Kuantan, Malaysia on Dec. 11, 2023.]( [The Winners From U.S.-China Decoupling]( From Malaysia to Mexico, some countries are gearing up to benefit from economic fragmentation. By Agathe Demarais [A protester is seen outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.]( [America’s Democracy Was Never That Healthy]( Since its founding, the country has been in a perpetual state of division. By Nick Bryant [Russians Expect Nothing From Putin’s War]( Political apathy is a psychological survival mechanism—and a possible route to peace. By Kristaps Andrejsons [For Putin, the EU Is a Bigger Threat Than NATO](The Kremlin fears the EU’s ability to spur deep political change. By Nicholas Lokker, Kate Johnston [The Winners From U.S.-China Decoupling](From Malaysia to Mexico, some countries are gearing up to benefit from economic fragmentation. By Agathe Demarais [America’s Democracy Was Never That Healthy](Since its founding, the country has been in a perpetual state of division. By Nick Bryant   From FP Studios - Reclaim Democracy: Explore a [special four-part podcast series]( by the Human Rights Foundation, produced by FP Studios, about activists, dissidents, leading thinkers, and innovators and their fight for freedom and democracy. Listen to Reclaim Democracy: Stories From the Oslo Freedom Forum on [Apple](, [Spotify](, or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. - State of Seed: Brought to you by the International Seed Federation, with production services from FP Studios, host Laura Rosbrow-Telem explores the key barriers that farmers face in assessing quality seed and what the policy world misunderstands about agriculture in a new podcast series, [State of Seed](. Keep an eye out for new episodes every Friday on [Apple](, [Spotify](, and other platforms.   Are you interested in learning more about FP Analytics’ cutting-edge research services, hosting an FP Virtual Dialogue event, or building a podcast with FP Studios? [Explore partnership opportunities](. Answer: B. Dismissed almost every member of his cabinet. Predatory microloans and a rising cost of living have spurred economic unease among young people in Kenya, Nina Berman [wrote]( in June. [Summer Sale Extended!]( Our summer sale just got better. 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