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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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EnergySource

May 21, 2019

An approach to reduce unproductive flaring of natural gas: The development of new gas-to-liquid technology

By Nichole Liebov, PhD

Natural gas, which consists primarily of methane, accounts for nearly one quarter of global energy production. Although the shale gas boom significantly increased the supply of natural gas, natural gas cannot be transported to processing plants using existing infrastructure for petroleum. Consequently, remote sources of natural gas are in effect “stranded.” Methods to use this […]

Oil and Gas

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2019

The drums of war

By Nabeel Khoury

The Trump administration’s warning about an imminent attack by Iran in the Middle East appears to be unfounded and its escalation of pressure on Tehran part of a strategy to win concessions from the Islamic Republic.

Conflict Iran

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2019

The Christchurch call and the failure of US leadership

By Emerson T. Brooking

The United States’ snubbing of the document represents a retreat from previous counterterrorism pledges. It also reveals a dangerous divide between the White House and US allies regarding the growing threat of white ethno-nationalist extremism.

Disinformation English

UkraineAlert

May 20, 2019

Q&A: Ukraine’s got a new president. How did he do on inauguration day?

By Melinda Haring

On May 20, Volodymyr Zelenskiy was sworn in as Ukraine’s sixth president. His inauguration speech was ambitious: he called for early elections, urged parliament to end parliamentary immunity, pass electoral reform and the law on illegal enrichment. He also wants parliament to sack the head of the SBU, the prosecutor general, and the minister of […]

Conflict Democratic Transitions

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2019

European elections are a win, of sorts, for Greece

By Katerina Sokou

Overcoming the strains with its European partners, Greece is heading to its first European elections after the crisis with its biggest parties claiming not only to be pro-European, but also to be fighting populism.

Elections European Union

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2019

Why Europe’s election matters in Poland

By Katarzyna Pisarska

The election will be a vote of confidence in the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and reveal the level of public support for two competing visions for the future of Europe: an integrationist, open, and solidarity-driven Europe or a conservative “Christian” Europe of sovereign states.

Elections European Union

SyriaSource

May 17, 2019

The risks of ignoring former ISIS women members

By Feras Hanoush

Rehabilitating former ISIS members—including women—in former ISIS territories is a necessary step to prevent the extremist organization from resurging and put an end to the violence and extremism it represented.

Extremism Syria

New Atlanticist

May 17, 2019

Euroscepticism and populism to gain in Dutch representation in the European Parliament

By Bart Oosterveld

As is the case elsewhere on the European continent, parties away from the political center are expected to perform quite well in the European parliamentary elections in the Netherlands on May 23.

Elections European Union

New Atlanticist

May 17, 2019

The importance of Hungary’s European election

By Anna Juhos

This election will determine the place of Hungary’s parties in the European political spectrum and the outcome will have consequences for Hungary’s municipal elections in the fall.

Elections European Union

New Atlanticist

May 17, 2019

A political death warrant for Theresa May – and Brexit?

By John M. Roberts

After weeks of stagnation and accusations that Britain had a zombie government and parliament, suddenly everything is moving again at almost lightning speed. 

European Union United Kingdom