The Weekly Report: May 17-24 2026
United States
The Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned from her post on Friday, so she could support her husband following his diagnosis with cancer. She will stay in her post until June 30, 2026. In the resignation, Gabbard posted on X, she said, "deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the last year and a half."
Asia
President Trump has said he would be open to speaking with the President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, following his meeting with President Xi Jinping of China last week. Such a phone call would mark a shift away from normal diplomatic protocol between the U.S. and Taiwan, as the leaders of both nations have not communicated directly in decades. Usually, dialogue between the U.S. and Taiwan takes place at lower levels of power, not at the leader level. Should the leaders hold this call, they would almost certainly talk about U.S. arms sales to the island and the border state of U.S.-Taiwan relations.
Europe
After threats of U.S. troop withdrawal by President Trump, it appears plans have changed. President Trump posted on social media on Friday that he would send 5,000 troops to Poland. In response to the announcement, Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte said: “I welcome the announcement.” However, he also reiterated that Europe would continue with its plans to reduce its dependency on U.S. military support.
Americas
Following the U.S. indictment of former Cuban president Raúl Castro, Cuban state media portrayed the former leader as having the full support of the Cuban people. Current Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said, “He’s like a father to me.” On Wednesday, Castro was indicted for the shooting down of two civilian aircraft in 1996, flying in international airspace.
Africa
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordered all U.S. citizens flying in from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, or South Sudan to arrive at Dulles International Airport where enhanced screening measures will be implemented. DHS said it would be working in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to conduct the screening of passengers to prevent the introduction of Ebola into the U.S. Their is a ban on all foreign nationals who have been in any of those countries within the past 21 days from entering the U.S.
Middle East
Qatar and Pakistan have sent diplomatic teams to Iran as the threat of a restart in fighting looms. The Pakistani Army Chief led a delegation that landed in Tehran on Friday. This high-profile Pakistani visit appears to signal that diplomatic efforts are beginning to make progress. Similarly, Qatar sent a team to Tehran to partake in talks with its Iranian counterparts.
