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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

Sep 22, 2026

Ukrainians are braced for a brutal winter. Are the Russians also ready?

By Peter Dickinson

With Ukraine's air defenses running low, Russia is expected to escalate the bombardment of Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure ahead of the coming winter season in a bid to freeze the country into submission, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

Econographics

Sep 22, 2026

To achieve its next economic leap, Vietnam needs to move beyond the factory floor

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

Vietnam’s export-driven growth has been remarkable. But with domestic firms capturing relatively little of the value, Hanoi now needs to turn foreign investment into broader gains at home.

Economy & Business South Asia

Econographics

Sep 21, 2026

The four issues our experts are watching ahead of this week’s Trump-Xi summit

By Beth Baltzan, Jeremy Mark, Stephen P. Vaughn, Jessie Yin

From AI governance to trade and economic headwinds in Beijing, our experts break down the key questions shaping the summit—and what could come next.

China Economy & Business

GeoTech Cues

Sep 21, 2026

AI is sprinting past human control. Can testing and evaluation catch up? 

By Evi Fuelle, Ryan Pan

Frontier AI is exposing the limits of today's testing systems. The United States needs a national AI assurance ecosystem.

Artificial Intelligence Digital Policy

MENASource

Sep 21, 2026

The Syria policy the US got wrong—and the bittersweet moment Washington finally got right

By Wa’el Alzayat

A former State Department official dissects how the US helped defeat ISIS but didn't protect the Syrian people.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

MENASource

Sep 21, 2026

Don’t talk about optimism in Syria, talk about action

By Arwa Damon

It’s been twenty months since Bashar al-Assad’s fall. People expect more, and patience is wearing thin.

Democratic Transitions Inclusive Growth

UkraineAlert

Sep 17, 2026

Ukraine can do more to counter Russia’s illicit finance threat

By Matthew McGlynn

For more than four years, Ukraine has impressed global audiences with the country’s ability to defend itself against Russia on land, at sea, and in the air. Illicit finance is another important front in the fight against Russian aggression, writes Matthew McGlynn.

Conflict Cybersecurity

EnergySource

Sep 17, 2026

What von der Leyen’s SOTU speech got right about energy—and where the EU still needs to pivot

By Atlantic Council experts

The EU State of the Union address recognizes important energy system challenges but also leaves details on actions murky.

Energy & Environment Energy Transitions

UkraineAlert

Sep 17, 2026

Putin is escalating against NATO but a Baltic incursion remains unlikely

By James Rice

The recent escalation in Russian gray zone aggression across Europe has sparked a lively debate over how far the Kremlin may be prepared to go, but a Russian attack on the Baltic states remains unlikely, writes James Rice.

Conflict European Union

Econographics

Sep 17, 2026

Ten years into Trump’s trade experiment, the US continues to defy expectations

By Stephen P. Vaughn

A decade of tariffs and trade wars has yet to deliver the economic collapse many critics predicted. Instead, the data tell a more complicated story.

Economy & Business Macroeconomics