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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.
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Trade in Action

Jun 1, 2016

TTIP&TRADE in Action – June 1, 2016

By Global Business & Economics Program

European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and US Trade Representative Michael Froman participated in a seminar on TTIP with representatives of Swedish unions and firms in Stockholm earlier this week.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

UkraineAlert

Jun 1, 2016

Ukraine Needs to Stop Dragging its Feet on Privatization

By Aivaras Abromavičius

State-owned enterprises remain Ukraine’s Achilles’ heel. They are where political corruption spirals out of control with cronyism and backroom deals, and it is time to put an end to it. Privatization is the only real solution. No one has ever been popular by selling state assets and the timing is never right. Yet these companies […]

Ukraine

SyriaSource

Jun 1, 2016

In the Wake of the Jabla and Tartous Bombings

By Saleem al-Omar

The explosions on Monday, May 23 killed up to 150 people in the cities of Jabla and Tartous, in an attack that surprised both the regime and opposition. For the last three years, the opposition has launched missile strikes against these coastal cities without causing the same level of damage, at most killing a few […]

Syria

UkraineAlert

May 31, 2016

A Saakashvili Party Comeback? Not in Georgia but Maybe in Ukraine

By Brian Mefford

Odesa Oblast Governor Mikheil Saakashvili is preparing for the launch of his political party later this year in Ukraine, but this has not prevented him from pondering a return to politics in his native Georgia. Georgian voters go to the polls on October 8 to elect a new parliament in a contest viewed as a […]

The Caucasus Ukraine

MENASource

May 31, 2016

Tunisian Economic Reforms: Between Textiles and Terrorism

By Mohamed Malouche and Scott Mastic

Last month the US-Tunisia Joint Economic Commission (JEC) met in Washington to reaffirm economic partnership between the two countries and promote growth in key sectors.  The meeting was an opportunity for Tunisia’s leaders to demonstrate their commitment to economic reforms and for the United States to commit further economic support to Tunisia in the form […]

Economy & Business North Africa

UkraineAlert

May 31, 2016

Exposing Russia’s False NATO Narrative

By Stephen Blank

A staple of Russian, pro-Russian, and so-called realist narratives is that NATO not only reneged on its promises to not enlarge after German reunification, it also rebuffed all Russian efforts to integrate with the organization. To paraphrase Ernest Hemingway, it is pretty to think so—but that is not the truth. As Mikhail Gorbachev himself said, […]

NATO Russia

New Atlanticist

May 31, 2016

The Politics of Israel: Hold on for a Bumpy Ride

By Richard LeBaron

While Americans observed the Memorial Day holiday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conceded to demands by his education minister (and former chief of staff) Naftali Bennett that cleared the way for the approval of Avigdor Lieberman as defense minister. Bennett has long wanted better access to information reserved for Israel’s security cabinet, but his willingness […]

Israel

SyriaSource

May 31, 2016

#5YearsWeFled: Syrian Hospitality

By Ayman Jalwan

We were warned about Hungary: my friends had warned me that it was very dangerous there, and that the authorities in Hungary are really bad to refugees. I had heard this from my friends who traveled through before us: they were arrested in Hungary and put in jail for one month. The authorities beat them, […]

Syria

UkraineAlert

May 31, 2016

Europe Still in Denial as Russia Ushers in the Age of Hybrid Hostilities

By Peter Dickinson

European leaders will gather in June to discuss whether to extend sanctions against Russia over the Kremlin’s hybrid war in Ukraine. The current sanctions regime will likely remain in place, but the mere fact the subject is up for debate is evidence of Europe’s alarming refusal to acknowledge the new security reality facing the continent. […]

European Union International Organizations
British frigate HMS Cornwall, July 8, 2009

NATOSource

May 27, 2016

NATO Official Says ‘Lack of Ships’ is a Growing Problem for Allies

By Martin Banks, Defense News

Jamie Shea, deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security challenges, also says a “lack of ships” is a growing problem for NATO members.

NATO Security & Defense