Michele Kelemen

The assault on the U.S. Capitol is causing much harm to America's image abroad as a promoter of democratic values.

As he leaves office, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is taking steps that could make it harder for his successor to negotiate with Cuba or get aid to parts of Yemen ruled by an Iranian-backed militia.

The insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has affected America's image abroad. NPR takes a look at the international reaction and what it will mean for U.S. diplomats trying to move ahead.

Sudan has taken another step to shed its past as a pariah state, two years after the country's longtime leader was ousted. And on Wednesday, the country got a big boost from the Trump administration.

Neither the pandemic nor a brutal crackdown could silence the women behind the opposition movement in Belarus. Protests continue despite key opposition leaders being jailed or forced into exile.

President-elect Joe Biden's promise of a firm response to the latest hacking attack attributed to Russia signals a much tougher assessment of Vladimir Putin than President Trump's deferential attitude.

"We will continue to fight and speak and raise our voices," says Belarusian athlete Yelena Leuchanka. "The face of what is happening in Belarus is largely the face of women," says an ex-U.S. diplomat.

Alexei Navalny, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, says he tricked a Russian agent into spilling details of the Russian government's plot to kill him with a poison placed in his underwear.

President Trump says Morocco has agreed to be the latest Arab country to normalize relations with Israel. However, the deal includes a U.S. endorsement of Morocco's claim to a disputed territory.

Mike Pompeo's critics see his trip to Georgia, less than a month before key Senate runoff races, as another example of the secretary of state breaking norms by getting involved in domestic politics.

In Congress, Mike Pompeo was one of the toughest critics of Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state. Wrapping up his time as secretary of state, Pompeo's getting harsh reviews for partisanship

The new rules reduce the maximum validity of U.S. business and tourist visas held by party members and their families from 10 years to one month. China calls the action part of a "Cold War mentality."

When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were running against each other, they both pledged to hire more women in national security positions. Pledge organizers see signs that this promise might be fulfilled.

Thomas-Greenfield has worked in foreign service for more than three decades, including as head of the Bureau of African Affairs in the Obama White House. This position requires Senate confirmation.

Biden will nominate Antony Blinken, a source familiar with the transition discussions tells NPR. The source added that Jake Sullivan is a strong lead for the position of national security adviser.

After four years of the Trump administration sidelining career diplomats, the head of the Biden transition team for the State Department is pushing to revitalize the agency and make it more diverse.

World leaders have been congratulating President-Elect Biden, but America's top diplomat, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, is fueling the Trump administration's claims of widespread election fraud.

Foreign policy experts say Joe Biden's foreign policy goals will depend on addressing the divisions in the U.S. as he reaches out to other countries.

Reactions to the election results have been pouring in from world leaders. NPR correspondents speak on what a Joe Biden presidency means for American foreign policy.

NPR's Michele Kelemen explains what foreign relations could look like under a Joe Biden presidency.