Atlantic Council blogs

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.
View all
of our blogs
Subscribe to our
newsletters

Latest from across our blogs

Blog Post

May 21, 2021

The mythology of a rising Asia…and how America can make a difference

By Vasuki Shastry

The mythology of a rising Asia is not entirely accurate. This is because much of the regional economic growth has been accompanied by worsening social outcomes. However, as the Biden administration asserts a renewed US focus on the region, these worsening social outcomes provide a strong opportunity for engagement.

China East Asia

SouthAsiaSource

May 21, 2021

Pakistan must tackle extreme heat if it wants to be a geoeconomic power

By Damola Aluko, Kim Austin, and Fatima Khalil

Pakistani leaders promise to lead South Asia into an era of prosperity, however, leadership must realize that extreme heat resilience and sustainable economic growth are inextricably linked. Pakistan cannot achieve its goals of regional connectivity and economic wellness unless it revises its economic strategy to fully tackle its extreme heat crisis.

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment

Fast Thinking

May 21, 2021

FAST THINKING: An Israel-Hamas ceasefire in a changed world

By Atlantic Council

Will this fragile peace hold? What are the enduring consequences of the conflict for the region and the world? Our experts weigh in.

Conflict Israel

MENASource

May 21, 2021

Libya has a mercenaries problem. It’s time for the international community to step up.

By Alia Brahimi

One of the darker realities of the war in Libya is that the conflict (now in its eleventh year) is powered by layers of actors from outside the contested territory. Libyans have been killed and their country ravaged by foreign soldiers of fortune.

Libya Middle East

IranSource

May 21, 2021

‘Elections without Mohsen Rezaei are like kebabs without onions’

By Saeid Jafari

A perpetual candidate, a man who never leaves the scene, an election-addict, and a resilient politician: these are among the kinder ways in which Iranians describe Mohsen Rezaei.

Iran Middle East

MENASource

May 20, 2021

Experts React: What’s next after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire?

By Atlantic Council

After eleven days of cross-border fighting, Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire. Atlantic Council experts react to the news, assess the significance of the recent surge in violence, and offer their thoughts on how the international community should deal with the conflict moving forward.

Israel Middle East

UkraineAlert

May 20, 2021

Putin’s passport ploy in Ukraine may pave way for Russia’s next annexation

By Peter Dickinson

As Vladimir Putin’s hybrid war against Ukraine grinds into its eighth year, Russian passports are emerging as Moscow’s most effective weapon in its struggle to limit Ukrainian sovereignty.

Conflict Non-Traditional Threats

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2021

Why India’s COVID-19 crisis could spell global economic catastrophe

By Nitya Biyani

India was projected to lead a surge in emerging-market growth this year. How much will its second-wave crisis impact the global economy?

Coronavirus Economy & Business

Markup

May 20, 2021

MARKUP: Our experts annotate Biden’s new executive order on cybersecurity

By Cyber Statecraft Initiative

To help unpack President Joe Biden's new executive order on cybersecurity, Atlantic Council experts and friends mark up the order with their thoughts on what it means for the government and private sector.

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

UkraineAlert

May 20, 2021

Biden softens sanctions on Putin’s pipeline

By Diane Francis

The Biden administration has this week announced a mixed bag of sanctions and waivers concerning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, leaving opponents of Putin’s pet energy project confused and alarmed.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Germany