Atlantic Council blogs

Congressional Leaders Urge NATO to Purchase French Warships Intended for Russia

By Eliot L. Engel, Michael Turner, and William R. Keating

Text of letter to NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen from US lawmakers.

Algeria’s Mirage of Stability

By Mohsin Khan and Karim Mezran

Despite the sporadic protests that shook Algiers during the Arab Spring season of 2011, the demonstrations calling for change brought forth nowhere near the same political transformation that rocked countries like Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia.

Storify: #ACGhani with Afghanistan Presidential Candidate Dr. Ashraf Ghani

The stakes could not be higher. Afghanistan faces an historic presidential election on June 14 with a runoff between frontrunners Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. 

Egypt, the Election, and Sectarian Analysis

By Jayson Casper

One day before the beginning of presidential elections, the Egyptian Center for Media Studies and Public Opinion (ECMSPO) published the results of a counterintuitive poll. Based on personal interviews with 10,524 citizens throughout Egypt’s governorates, they predicted a turnout of only 10 percent.

EconSource: Fitch–Public finances remain key challenge after Egypt vote

By EconSource

Follow the latest in economic news and developments about the Arab transition countries. 

Kremlin Awards Medals for Courage (and Pension Bonuses) to Russian Journalists Who Cover Ukraine ‘Objectively’

By Irena Chalupa

An essential asset in the Kremlin’s not-quite-covert sponsorship of the secessionist warfare in southeast Ukraine has been its ability to use Russia’s mass media to shape the story for populations at home in Russia and in much of the former Soviet Union. President Vladimir Putin signaled the importance of this propaganda war this week in […]

As Ukraine Builds a Stronger Government, Parliamentary Elections Will Be Necessary – and Difficult

By Irena Chalupa

Ukraine’s election of a new president on May 25 was an essential first step in building a Ukrainian government with enough democratic legitimacy to lead the country through the crises it faces.  But establishing a government with a strong enough mandate to make painful economic reforms and resist Russia’s assault on Ukraine’s independence also will […]

NATO Begins Discussions to Replace its Fleet of E-3 AWACS

By Brooks Tigner, IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly

NATO must decide this year on whether and how to replace its ageing fleet of Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, allied officials tell IHS Jane’s .

Sissi Wins But How Will He Rule?

By Barbara Slavin

There was never any doubt about the outcome of Egypt’s presidential elections: with the full power of the state behind him and no real competition, Field Marshal Abdel Fatah el-Sissi has won more than 90 percent of the vote. But desperate efforts by the government to boost the turnout by extending voting to three days have […]