New Atlanticist

Scenes from a broken Beirut

By Nicholas Blanford

My apartment was heavily damaged by the explosion. All the windows were gone, the frames blasted out, even on the other side of the building from the explosion. I spoke to friends and colleagues in the area. They all have tales about calamities, material and personal, that have befallen them.

Extreme heat: What can be done to stop this “silent killer”?

While extreme heat is one of the planet’s clearest signals of global warming—last year was the world’s second hottest since 1880—it remains an invisible threat: a “silent killer” lurking in relatively clear view.

As COVID-19 spreads, Africa needs another “London Moment”

By Vasuki Shastry and Jeremy Mark

Last month’s Group of Twenty (G20) finance ministers’ meeting proved that the international community is too cautious about helping Africa in its time of need. Is the G20 prepared to face the consequences of its inaction?

Polish PM calls for transatlantic unity on troop deployments and China

By David A. Wemer

Speaking at an Atlantic Council Front Page event, Morawiecki argued that “the NATO alliance is so important for the world to keep peace,” that allies must continue to work toward “consensus” in their actions.

The foreign worker freeze will not solve high US unemployment

By Amy Jeon

The administration’s restrictive approach to immigration cannot be attributed to the pandemic economy alone, as evidenced by sweeping measures even before COVID-19, including historically low refugee admission numbers and increased penalties for asylum seekers. The freeze will also likely do more harm than good to the US economy.

Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections will shape its political future—likely for the worse

By Phillip Baumgart

With complications from the coronavirus pandemic, during which the Sri Lankan election commission has struggled to ensure that voting will be free, fair, and safe for all, the twice-delayed election may favor President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s party, allowing it to strike down a significant constitutional amendment and move Sri Lanka further into China’s orbit of influence.

Experts react: US announces plans for troop withdrawal from Germany

By David A. Wemer

“There may be a strategic case for the withdrawal of almost 12,000 US troops from Germany, but Secretary of Defense Esper’s announcement today does not make it," Daniel Fried says.

What hurts NATO the most is not the troop reductions. It’s the divisive approach to Europe.

By Olivier-Rémy Bel

At the end of the day, the strength of the Alliance lies less in the number of troops deployed than in the trust among allies. Rebuilding that trust should be the main task of those who care about transatlantic relations—and the first step might be restoring the predictability of American foreign policy.

Western Balkans leaders meet to drive coronavirus recovery and deepen regional economic cooperation

By David A. Wemer

Leaders from the Western Balkans Six—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia—participated in the Western Balkans Partnership Summit on July 29 to take steps to deepen regional economic cooperation and stimulate growth amid the widespread economic downturn caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The 5×5—Fighting COVID-19 with surveillance: Perspectives from across the globe

By Simon Handler and Lily Liu

As more countries rely on digital tools to contain the spread of COVID-19, how will enhanced surveillance challenge privacy norms in the future? According to the World Health Organization, public health surveillance is critical to containing the pandemic. However, can enhanced surveillance during a public health crisis set precedents for digital surveillance in the future?