experts
Christopher S. Chivvis
Senior Fellow and Director, American Statecraft Program

about


Chris Chivvis is a senior fellow and director of the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He has more than two decades of experience working on U.S. foreign policy and national security challenges.  He most recently served as the U.S. national intelligence officer for Europe.  

At Carnegie, Chivvis leads policy-focused research aimed at developing realistic U.S. strategy for an era of great power competition and building a foreign policy that serves the needs of the American people.

Chivvis’ experience with U.S. foreign policy spans government, academia, and the think tank world. Before joining the National Intelligence Council, he was the deputy head of the RAND Corporation’s international security program and worked in the Defense Department. He also has held positions at multiple universities and think tanks in the United States and Europe.

Chivvis is also the author of three scholarly books and several monographs and articles. His commentary has appeared in the New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the National Interest, National Public Radio, and several other outlets. 

Chris holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins, where he teaches courses on international history and U.S. foreign policy. 


education
PhD, Johns Hopkins University
languages
English, French
featured work
In The Media
in the media
NATO Is Turning 75, but How Much Is There to Celebrate?

It is important that NATO has survived for so many decades, but staying alive can’t be the standard for judging success. Real success comes from serving the concrete interests of the members of the alliance.

In The Media
in the media
The World Must Reject Russia’s Nuclear Posturing – But Not Ignore the Danger

The closer Nato hugs Ukraine, the more Putin is sure to brandish his nuclear arms, and the greater the risk he uses them

In The Media
in the media
How Washington Should Manage Rising Middle Powers

And why it would be a mistake to judge emerging powers by the strength of their ties to China or Russia.

All work from Christopher S. Chivvis

filters
103 Results
In The Media
in the media
How Evil? Deconstructing the New Russia–China–Iran–North Korea Axis

Treating the "axis of resistance" as a monolith ignores important uncertainties about their future bonds.

· December 2, 2024
Survival
In The Media
in the media
Why Emerging Powers Are Welcoming Trump’s Victory

Traditional powers are worried about a second Trump administration, but much of the world has had the opposite reaction.

· November 21, 2024
Foreign Policy
In The Media
in the media
Is the War in Ukraine Escalating or Headed Toward an Endgame?

Allowing Ukraine to use U.S. Atacms missiles for deep strikes may be worth the risk if it hastens negotiations.

· November 21, 2024
The Guardian
In The Media
in the media
Debate: Be it Resolved, Don’t Stop Now. The U.S. Should Join Israel and Take Out Iran’s Nuclear Program

A debate on whether Israel should seize on the current moment to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.

· November 1, 2024
Munk Debates
podcast
Will America’s Next President Bring Real Change in Foreign Policy?

Sophia Besch sits down with Chris Chivvis and Stephen Wertheim to discuss why meaningful change in U.S. foreign policy is so difficult to achieve—and what it would take for the next American president to make such a change happen.

event
Navigating a Way Forward on U.S.-China Relations
October 17, 2024

U.S.-China relations have deteriorated to the point that war is a possible outcome. What strategic options exist for the next U.S. president on China? And what pathways exist towards more positive bilateral relations by 2035?

U.S.-China Relations for the 2030s
research
U.S.-China Relations for the 2030s: Toward a Realistic Scenario for Coexistence

It has become difficult to imagine how Washington and Beijing might turn their relationship, which is so crucial to the future of world order, toward calmer waters. If there is to be any hope of doing so, however, policy experts need some realistic vision of what those calmer waters might look like.

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· October 17, 2024
Video of Chris Chivvis discussing a realistic scenario for Washington and Beijing’s peaceful coexistence.
video
How can the U.S. and China Reach a Realistic Coexistence?

Growing U.S.-China tensions have generated a pessimistic vision for the future of the relationship. How might the United States and China manage their competitive relationship without resorting to war?

In this video, Christopher S. Chivvis introduces the volume "U.S.-China Relations for the 2030s: Toward a Realistic Scenario for Coexistence" and argues that a realistic scenario for Washington and Beijing’s peaceful coexistence does exist.

· October 17, 2024
In The Media
in the media
America’s Foreign Policy Inertia

Since World War II, many U.S. leaders have attempted to change the country’s foreign policy, and their efforts have often fallen short. Inertia is a powerful force.

· October 14, 2024
Foreign Affairs
Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping hold glasses during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023.
paper
Cooperation Between China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia: Current and Potential Future Threats to America

Each one of these states threatens U.S. interests. Yet they are far from a coherent bloc and largely pose threats independent of one another.