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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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IranSource

Jul 12, 2017

Neocon Comparison of Iran and Soviet Union Profoundly Flawed

By Sina Azodi

After almost eight months, the Trump administration has yet to come up with a comprehensive Iran policy. The White House has grudgingly abided by its predecessor’s nuclear deal with Iran, while adopting a more hawkish tone toward Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East.

New Atlanticist

Jul 11, 2017

Zapad: A Window into Russia’s Military Mind?

Russia’s large-scale military exercise to be conducted in September can provide critical insight for NATO allies seeking to improve their readiness posture against an increasingly revanchist Russia, according to an Estonian defense official. “Russians train exactly as they intend to fight, thus Zapad will give up ample information on their military and political thinking as […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Jul 11, 2017

Atlantic Council Honors Champions of Freedom

The political, security, and humanitarian challenges facing the world today cannot be overcome without international cooperation and a concerted effort to strengthen the “solidarity of values” of the transatlantic community, Daniel Fried, a recipient of the Atlantic Council’s 2017 Freedom Award, said at the awards ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, on July 7. The post-World War […]

Poland

MENASource

Jul 11, 2017

A Larger US Role in Libya?

By Karim Mezran and Elissa Miller

As the chaos in Libya continues, recent reports indicate that the United States is considering ramping up its diplomatic and military involvement in Libya.  On July 10, CNN reported that the Trump administration could soon finalize a new policy for Libya to expand US presence in the country. If realized, a new policy for Libya […]

Libya

New Atlanticist

Jul 11, 2017

Here’s why Trump needs to deepen engagement with Eurasia

By Ariel Cohen

Russia and China may aspire to exclude the United States from the heart of Eurasia. However, the Trump administration should not just pack up and walk away.

Central Asia China

UkraineAlert

Jul 11, 2017

From the Revolution of Dignity to the Education of Dignity

By Volodymyr Turchynovskyy

I am convinced that the Revolution of Dignity has taught us a powerful lesson, one that is captured by the saying, “A free society is a moral achievement.” The same idea is profoundly elaborated on in Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks’ acceptance speech as the 2016 winner of the Templeton Prize. With these ideas in mind, […]

Ukraine

IranSource

Jul 11, 2017

Iran Seeks Neo-Protectorate in Syria

By Farhad Rezaei

The six-year civil war in Syria has propelled relations with Iran to a new level of importance on a par, according to some Iranian officials, with Iran’s control over parts of its own territory.

UkraineAlert

Jul 11, 2017

Ukraine Walks Back Disclosure Law on NGOs

By Melinda Haring

Two bills that would remove Ukraine’s controversial disclosure requirements for nongovernment organizations and replace them with more extensive reporting requirements were introduced in parliament on July 10. In an interview, Dmytro Shymkiv said bill 6674 and 6675 would make the public aware of how tax-exempt money is being spent “as it is done everywhere else […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 10, 2017

Dispelling Disinformation: Four Lessons from Ukraine

By Ellen Riina

“There are no Russian troops in Crimea. It’s a civil war in Ukraine. MH-17 was shot down from another plane. Ukraine is a failed state.” These are all false narratives that were created to undermine Ukraine’s response to Russian aggression and sow divisions between pro-Europe and pro-Russian populations in Ukraine, according to Myroslava Gongadze, the […]

Russia Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Jul 10, 2017

Ukraine’s Parliament Faces Moment of Truth

By William B. Taylor

This week Ukraine’s parliament will vote on sweeping health care reform. If passed, the reform will modernize the country’s Soviet-era health care system and bring it up to international standards. However, the bill is currently being held hostage to political partisanship, which works to the detriment of Ukraine’s national interests. If the bill fails, then […]

Ukraine