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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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UkraineAlert

Feb 17, 2026

A bad Ukraine peace could ignite new wars in Russia’s former empire

By Joseph Epstein

If a settlement in Ukraine frees up Russian military resources without establishing credible deterrents against further Kremlin aggression, Moscow will have the means and the motive to reassert dominance elsewhere in its former empire, writes Joseph Epstein.

Central Asia European Union

EnergySource

Feb 17, 2026

Key questions on how Project Vault can secure minerals supplies

By Evan Musolino

The US plan to stockpile critical minerals is moving forward, but the details of its purpose, design, and usage have yet to be shared. Here are key areas to watch.

Energy & Environment Geopolitics & Energy Security

MENASource

Feb 15, 2026

Six reasons why Trump should choose the military option in Iran

By Michael Rozenblat

The benefits of fundamentally changing—or even eliminating—the Islamic Republic could outweigh the risks if the alternative is an emboldened, undeterred Iran.

Conflict Iran

GeoTech Cues

Feb 13, 2026

The road to the AI Impact Summit: How to build AI infrastructure from the ground up

By Ryan Pan, Coley Felt, Raul Brens Jr.

The central question for AI in 2026 is not whether governments have an AI strategy—it’s whether they can operationalize it and quickly deliver the benefits to their citizens.

Artificial Intelligence Digital Policy

UkraineAlert

Feb 12, 2026

Vladimir Putin is trapped in a war he cannot win but dare not end

By Peter Dickinson

As the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale Ukraine invasion approaches, Vladimir Putin finds himself trapped in a war he cannot win but dare not end for fear of entering Russian history as the man who lost Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Feb 12, 2026

Ukraine says lifting football ban would risk legitimizing Russia’s invasion

By Mark Temnycky

Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi has slammed calls for Russia’s return to international football and warned that any attempt to reinstate the Russians would risk legitimizing the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, writes Mark Temnycky.

Conflict Corruption

EnergySource

Feb 12, 2026

How Europe can shape—not fear—the US ‘hydrocarbon-state’

By Michał Kurtyka and Mateusz Kędzierski

The emergence of the United States as a hydrocarbon-state that combines resource abundance with geopolitical power represents an opportunity for Europe.

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

GeoTech Cues

Feb 12, 2026

The AI Impact Summit must focus on pathways, not pilots, to scale up AI adoption

By Trisha Ray, Keyzom Ngodup Massally, and Shalini Kapoor

The AI Impact Summit should bring together tech companies, government agencies, researchers, civil society, and funders to focus efforts on scaling up AI adoption.

Artificial Intelligence Digital Policy

Econographics

Feb 12, 2026

Despite US exemptions, the show goes on for a global minimum corporate tax

By Jeff Goldstein

The United States may have carved out protections for its multinationals, but the global minimum tax continues to move forward. With more than sixty-five countries implementing the OECD framework, policymakers are betting imperfect progress will prevent a relapse into corporate tax competition.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

Econographics

Feb 10, 2026

China’s warning on US Treasuries—and why its timing matters

By Jeremy Mark, Josh Lipsky

Beijing has joined the conversation on the dollar. It was leaked this week that Chinese regulators have been urging domestic financial institutions to cut back on US Treasuries, and this timing is no coincidence.

China Dollar Dominance