Paul Lettow

Former Adjunct Senior Fellow.

Former senior director for strategic planning and institutional reform, National Security Council staff. Author of Ronald Reagan and His Quest to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Random House, 2005) and the recent Council Special Report Strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime.

EXPERTISE:

U.S. national security policy; nuclear nonproliferation; diplomatic history; structure and process of U.S. national security policymaking.

United Nations

What Is the UN General Assembly?
The General Assembly hosts a much-watched debate of world leaders annually. Its 2024 meeting is expected to emphasize climate change, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors September 19, 2024

United Nations

The UN Security Council
The UN Security Council is the premier global body for maintaining international peace and security, but it faces steady calls for reform to better meet twenty-first-century challenges.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors September 9, 2024

United Nations

The Role of the UN Secretary-General
The United Nations’ top leadership position has broad authority to steer the organization’s agenda, but its impact has varied widely since 1946.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors August 29, 2024

Top Stories on CFR

Russia

The Russia Challenge, With Liana Fix and Thomas Graham (Election 2024, Episode 1)

Podcast
Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR, and Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the future of U.S. policy toward Russia and the risks posed by heightened tensions between two nuclear powers. This episode is the first in a special TPI series on the U.S. 2024 presidential election and is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay, Liana Fix and Thomas Graham September 17, 2024 The President’s Inbox

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Preventing U.S. Election Violence in 2024

Violence around U.S. elections in 2024 could not only destabilize American democracy but also embolden autocrats across the world. Jacob Ware recommends that political leaders take steps to shore up civic trust and remove the opportunity for violence ahead of the 2024 election season.

Contingency Planning Memorandum by Jacob Ware April 17, 2024 Center for Preventive Action

China

What Is China’s Role in Combating the Illegal Fentanyl Trade?
Those seeking to profit from fentanyl and governments seeking to control its supply are locked in a never-ending competition, with each new countermeasure spurring further innovation to circumvent it.

Expert Brief by Zongyuan Zoe Liu September 12, 2024