Atlantic Council blogs

Atlantic Council blogs provide short-form analyses from Council experts and a wider community of global voices on the world’s most important news stories.
View all
of our blogs
Subscribe to our
newsletters

Latest from across our blogs

MENASource

May 5, 2026

Dispatch from Beirut: Israel-Hezbollah talks risk falling into a failed, decades-long pattern

By Nicholas Blanford

As the war with Israel revives Hezbollah and divides Lebanon, the ongoing negotiations echo failed 1983 talks.

Conflict Israel

UkraineAlert

May 4, 2026

Zelenskyy rains on Putin’s parade: Kyiv and Moscow declare rival ceasefires

By Peter Dickinson

Victory Day was supposed to be an opportunity for Vladimir Putin to project power. Instead, this year’s drastically scaled down parade is exposing Russia’s weakness while revealing Ukraine's strength, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Drones

MENASource

May 4, 2026

Syria needs a trustworthy digital ecosystem to support its revival

By Nadia Farra

Robust digital infrastructure, digital literacy, and cybersecurity are no longer luxuries for high-income nations but fundamental requirements for national stability and economic resilience.

Freedom and Prosperity Inclusive Growth

EnergySource

May 4, 2026

Chinese electric vehicle exports rise amid the oil crisis, posing a dilemma for importing countries

By Joseph Webster and Tony Jing

China is exporting a large number of electric vehicles around the world amid today's oil shock. The cars' internet connectivity, however, could make importers vulnerable to cyberattacks.

China Energy & Environment

AfricaSource

May 1, 2026

What can save Mali from collapse?

By Hussein Ba and Rama Yade

The security situation in Mali is becoming critical in the wake of a large-scale, coordinated series of attacks across multiple cities on April 25.

Extremism North & West Africa

UkraineAlert

May 1, 2026

Europe needs Ukraine as it looks to counter growing Russian threat

By Zahar Hryniv

More than a year since Trump returned to the White House, it is clear that Europe needs to develop its own strategic vision for the continent’s defense. It is equally apparent that Ukraine must be central to this vision, writes Zahar Hryniv.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Apr 30, 2026

Putin’s parade once projected power. Now it reveals Russia’s weakness.

By Peter Dickinson

Russia's annual Victory Day parade has traditionally been an opportunity for Putin to project power. This year, however, the parade has been scaled down amid fears of Ukrainian attack and risks becoming a symbol of Russian weakness, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Apr 30, 2026

Zelenskyy refuses Russian demands to surrender Ukraine’s vital fortress belt

By Marc Goedemans

Ukraine rejects Russian demands to withdraw from northern Donetsk province as part of a peace deal and insists the region's fortress belt is absolutely indispensable for the defense of the country as a whole, writes Marc Goedemans.

Conflict Defense Policy

EnergySource

Apr 30, 2026

Breaking with OPEC, the UAE is now a free agent. What this means for markets and regional unity

By Ellen Wald

The UAE's departure from OPEC will both impact oil markets and mark a significant historic shift for the region.

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

Econographics

Apr 29, 2026

What swap, Gulf?

By Charles Lichfield and Maxamillian Rajaobelina-Phipps

Amidst the chaos of the conflict in the Middle East, there’s been a buzz around offering dollar currency swaps to allies. Those have traditionally been the territory of central banks, but this time around, Treasury is taking the lead.

Economy & Business