Atlantic Council blogs

What the Loss of Mosul Will Mean for ISIS

By Mona Alami

As Iraqi forces continue to push further into the Islamic State’s bastion in Mosul, the looming loss of this key city heralds the end of the Islamic caliphate as a pseudo state. The organization, however, may survive as an insurgency and more importantly through the continuity of its “ideological caliphate.”

Congress Should Move Forward on Intelligence Center in the UK

By Joe Whited, The Hill

[I]t is disturbing that investments intended to ensure that NATO and the United States have up to date facilities in Europe for the processing and distribution of intelligence to our military leaders and our Allies is being tied up in Congress for largely parochial reasons.

German Defense Minister Wants EU Military to Match NATO

By Andrea Shalal, Reuters

Germany’s defense minister said on Monday the European Union must modernize its military defense and security to match NATO’s drive to beef up its own security forces in the wake of a major Russian build-up.

Four Swift Blows to Putin’s Influence in Europe

By John E. Herbst

Moscow retains substantial influence in Europe. However, its ability to leverage that influence against Ukraine appears to be declining, as four decisions over the past two months illustrate. Moscow’s intervention in Syria is weakening the Kremlin’s position vis a vis Ukraine in the views of European policymakers. This was evident on October 12 at the […]

A Muddied Road to Brexit

By Fran Burwell

The November 3 ruling by a British High Court that Parliament must vote before the British government invokes Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty has been seen by many as making it less likely that the United Kingdom will leave the European Union. In reality, although it may slow the process, it could also lead […]

Russia has Violated NATO Air Space at Least Five Times this Year

By Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post

Just ahead of the U.S. presidential elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be pushing his conflict with the West to new heights.

An Israeli Pivot to Africa

By Liviya David

With increased partnership at the top of the agenda, a September meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and over fifteen African heads of state at the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) marks a critical point in Israel’s recent refocus on Africa. Conventional analysis on recent Israel-Africa relations suggests that Israel’s primary […]

Dealing with Putin

By Ashish Kumar Sen

As presidential nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have taken divergent views of Russia and its relationship with the United States. Clinton, a Democrat who as secretary of state presented a big red “reset” button to her Russian counterpart in 2009, has taken a hawkish view of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Trump, on the other hand, […]

Does Europe Have an Islam Problem?

By Erwan Lagadec

Does Europe have an “Islam problem”? The recent string of terrorist attacks on the Continent suggests that the answer is self-evident. However, crisis response must start with a careful characterization of the issue at hand. Is Europe, then, confronted with the challenge of “integrating Islam”? Ultimately this might be true, but the limits of the […]

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Putin?

Russia’s cyberattacks and its aggression in Syria and Ukraine have created a climate of concern leading up to the US presidential election, but, rather than give in to hysteria, the next administration must consider policy approaches that manage the relationship with Russia and are focused on common interests, a professor of political science said at […]