• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Jessica Tuchman Mathews",
    "Dmitri Trenin"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "Middle East",
    "Iran",
    "Syria"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Security",
    "Military",
    "Foreign Policy",
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

What America Must Do

America’s relationship with the world is in disrepair. Anger, resentment, and fear have replaced the respect the United States once enjoyed. The next U.S. president should improve relations with Syria, and the mullahs in Tehran may be willing to shelve their nuclear plans permanently in exchange for a little face time with the United States.

Link Copied
By Jessica Tuchman Mathews and Dmitri Trenin
Published on Jan 2, 2008

Source: Foreign Policy

America's relationship with the world is in disrepair. Anger, resentment, and fear have replaced the respect the United States once enjoyed. Foreign Policy magazine asked a group of the world's leading thinkers,(including two Carnegie experts) to answer one question: What single policy or gesture can the next president of the United States make to improve America's standing in the world?

What America Must Do: Open the Door To Damascus
Carnegie President Jessica T. Mathews explains why she believes the next U.S. president should improve relations with Syria. “Syria seems to have come to the conclusion that it would rather have a relationship with the West than simply be isolated in a pot with Iran,” she argues. “Given that we have so few positive options in the Middle East, this seems to me to be an obvious opportunity that we have ignored.” Click here to read the interview about Mathews' article.

Mathews' full article is only available to FP subscribers. A short excerpt is available here:  What America Must Do: Open the Door To Damascus, Foreign Policy, January/February 2008.

What America Must Do: Travel to Tehran
Carnegie's Dmitri Trenin explains that the mullahs in Tehran may be willing to shelve their nuclear plans permanently in exchange for a little face time with the United States. “The United States needs to impress upon Iran that it considers Iran a major power in the region, and that it recognizes it has legitimate interests,” he argues. “So, when the United States deals with countries such as Iran and Afghanistan, it will do so in consultation with Iran.” Click here to read the interview about Trenin's article.

Trenin's full article is only availble to FP subscribers.  A short excerpt is available here: What America Must Do: Travel to Tehran, Foreign Policy, January/February 2008.

Click here for more expert answers to the question: What single policy or gesture can the next president of the United States make to improve America’s standing in the world? 

About the Authors

Jessica Tuchman Mathews

Distinguished Fellow

Mathews is a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She served as Carnegie’s president for 18 years.

Dmitri Trenin

Former Director, Carnegie Moscow Center

Trenin was director of the Carnegie Moscow Center from 2008 to early 2022.

Authors

Jessica Tuchman Mathews
Distinguished Fellow
Jessica Tuchman Mathews
Dmitri Trenin
Former Director, Carnegie Moscow Center
Political ReformSecurityMilitaryForeign PolicyNuclear PolicyNorth AmericaUnited StatesMiddle EastIranSyria

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    The Afghanistan–Pakistan War Poses Awkward Questions for Russia

    Not only does the fighting jeopardize regional security, it undermines Russian attempts to promote alternatives to the Western-dominated world order.

      Ruslan Suleymanov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Moldova Floats a New Approach to Its Transnistria Conundrum

    Moldova’s reintegration plan was drawn up to demonstrate to Brussels that Chișinău is serious about the Transnistria issue—and to get the West to react.

      Vladimir Solovyov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    After Ilia II: What Will a New Patriarch Mean for Georgia?

    The front-runner to succeed Ilia II, Metropolitan Shio, is prone to harsh anti-Western rhetoric and frequent criticism of “liberal ideologies” that he claims threaten the Georgian state. This raises fears that under his leadership the Georgian Orthodox Church will lose its unifying role and become an instrument of ultraconservative ideology.

      Bashir Kitachaev

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Lukashenko’s Bromance With Trump Has a Sell-By Date

    Lukashenko is willing to make big sacrifices for an invitation to Mar-a-Lago or the White House. He also knows that the clock is ticking: he must squeeze as much out of the Trump administration as he can before congressional elections in November leave Trump hamstrung or distracted.

      Artyom Shraibman

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    What the Russian Energy Sector Stands to Gain From War in the Middle East

    The future trajectory of the U.S.-Iran war remains uncertain, but its impact on global energy trade flows and ties will be far-reaching. Moscow is likely to become a key beneficiary of these changes; the crisis in the Gulf also strengthens Russia’s hand in its relationships with China and India, where advantages might prove more durable.

      • Sergey Vakulenko

      Sergey Vakulenko

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.