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.
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SyriaSource

Jul 3, 2018

Enduring Instability Looms in Syria’s Southwest

By Abdulrahman al-Masri

The situation in southwestern Syria continues to worsen. The Syrian regime launched a military campaign against opposition forces two weeks ago and hundreds of thousands of civilians fled towards the Jordanian borders and Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as a result of intense airstrikes and fierce clashes. Several regime advances have been reported, and there is a […]

Syria

UkraineAlert

Jul 3, 2018

Exclusive: New Party Enters Fray as Ukraine’s Opposition Tries to Unify

By Melinda Haring

Ukraine’s got a real chance to elect a reform-minded president if Western-leaning opposition parties unify. A dozen political consultants and smart Ukraine hands have told me that campaign funds will come if there’s unity, and with nearly 40 percent of voters still undecided, there’s still time to court voters ahead of the March 2019 presidential […]

Ukraine

MENASource

Jul 3, 2018

How the West and the UN failed Libya

By Emadeddin Zahri Muntasser and Dr. Mohamed Fouad

Whereas the ambitions of competing warlords fan the flames of conflict and consume the country’s oil resources, envoys from the UN and West to Libya continue to congratulate themselves for having said much but done little. In the balance hangs not only the success of those diplomats’ missions, but also the very future of Libya […]

Libya
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Canadan Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, June 9, 2018.(photo: Norwegian Embassy in Ottowa)

NATOSource

Jul 3, 2018

Trump Sends ‘Threatening’ Letter to Norway and Tells Trudeau that Canada is Undermining NATO

By News in English, Reuters, and CTV News

From News in English: US President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in which he asks Norway once again to boost defense spending

NATO Northern Europe
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Donald Trump, March 17, 2017 (photo: White House)

NATOSource

Jul 2, 2018

Trump Sends Disturbing Letters to Nine NATO Leaders Before Key Summit

By Foreign Policy, New York Times, and AFP

From Foreign Policy: In a sharply worded message to at least some countries in the 29-member alliance that didn’t meet defense spending thresholds

Germany NATO

New Atlanticist

Jul 2, 2018

NATO Must Adopt Readiness Initiative to Deter Russia

By Hans Binnendijk

NATO defense ministers agreed on June 7 to support a new “Four Thirties” military readiness plan designed to enhance deterrence by creating a new “culture of readiness” in the Alliance. It is one of four related initiatives suggested by the United States to ensure that Moscow does not believe it can exploit the Alliance’s slow […]

NATO Security & Defense

EnergySource

Jul 2, 2018

As OPEC manages the market, shale producers struggle with local constraints

By Ellen Scholl

Much has been made of the recent OPEC decision to lift production limits and its impact on US shale producers, with some commentators arguing that OPEC reclaiming its role as a market manager has put US shale in its place. However, others have noted that shale producers in the Permian are potentially sighing in relief […]

Americas Energy Markets & Governance

New Atlanticist

Jul 2, 2018

AMLO’s Turn: Challenges for the Next Mexican President

By David Wemer

After overturning the Mexican political establishment and capturing an astounding fifty-three percent of the vote, President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador must face his next challenge: governing.

Mexico

New Atlanticist

Jul 2, 2018

Europe’s Season of Anxiety

By Stephen Blank

Two summits this month—NATO’s in Brussels and US President Donald J. Trump’s first one with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki—are causing much anxiety in Europe. While in public, NATO and European officials are at pains to put on the best possible face, in private they have abundant and good reasons to be apprehensive about […]

NATO Russia

UkraineAlert

Jul 2, 2018

Q&A: Will Trump Give Away Crimea at Helsinki?

By Melinda Haring

On June 29, President Donald Trump told reporters that he hasn’t ruled out recognizing Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014. Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16 and many worry that he may gamble away Crimea. US policy on Crimea has been consistent since 2014, and […]

Russia Ukraine