New Atlanticist

International Effort Needed to Address Crisis in Venezuela

By Kelly Russo

 While US sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro present a smart, targeted response, a coordinated international approach is necessary to address the political and humanitarian crises in Venezuela, according to two Atlantic Council analysts. “The United States can’t go it alone,” said Jason Marczak, director of the Latin America Economic Growth Initiative in the Atlantic […]

Will the Trump Administration Address the GCC-North Korea Nexus?

By Giorgio Cafiero and Theodore Karasik

Several recent articles on North Korea’s relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have drawn this Northeast Asian country into an ongoing crisis within the bloc. From Washington’s perspective, GCC-North Korea relations threaten to undermine US efforts to isolate Pyongyang and squeeze it economically in response to its belligerent behavior marked by the recent […]

Putin Lashes Out

Will Russia’s reaction to US sanctions be short-lived? [Editor’s note: US President Donald J. Trump signed the new sanctions bill on August 2.]  The Kremlin’s reaction to the new US sanctions indicates that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in a “lashing-out mood,” that, while unsettling, will be short-lived, according to Daniel Fried, a distinguished fellow […]

Targeting Russia’s Oil: Why Sanctions Will Ultimately Work

By Lukas Trakimavičius

It has been three years since the European Union (EU) and the United States enacted a series of sanctions against Russia for the unlawful annexation of Crimea and the subsequent war in eastern Ukraine. Some of these sanctions deliberately target Russia’s oil industry because it is the backbone of the country’s economy. However, as Russia’s […]

The ‘Existential Threat’ Posed by North Korea

The Pentagon has confirmed that North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on July 28. The missile, which landed in the sea off the Japanese coast, flew higher and for longer than the one North Korea tested on July 4. This means it could hit cities in the United States. Here is what Atlantic Council […]

The Disqualification of Nawaz Sharif: Will Pakistan’s Courts Drain the Swamp?

By Shuja Nawaz

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s ouster by the supreme court is a rare example of a country’s leader being held accountable for corruption, but it has also created the possibility of instability in this South Asian nation that is a vital partner in the United States’ counterterrorism efforts. On July 28, Pakistan’s supreme court disqualified […]

Trump’s Transgender Ban Raises Legal Questions

By Rachel Ansley

Is a tweet legally binding directive, asks former US Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning [Editor’s note: On July 27, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that military policy regarding who may serve will not change until US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis issues new guidelines. “In the meantime, we […]

Three Issues the Energy Department’s Grid Study Must Address

By Branko Terzic

On July 14, an unofficial draft of the much-anticipated US Department of Energy (DOE) grid study, formally referred to as the Study Examining Electricity Markets and Reliability, was leaked, notably absent any recommendations. The report was requested in an April 14 memo by US Energy Secretary Rick Perry. A number of senators and representatives, based […]

Libya’s Haftar Comes Out on Top

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the chaos that has prevailed in Libya since 2011 have legitimized Khalifa Haftar, a former Libyan general whose forces have been accused of torture and executing prisoners, according to the Atlantic Council’s Karim Mezran. Haftar met Fayez-al-Serraj, the prime minister in Libya’s United Nations-backed government, in Paris on July 25. […]

Shots Fired in the Gulf

By Owen Daniels

Iran challenges US policy, this time in the maritime domain It seems hard for the United States to catch a break in the Persian Gulf these days. As its Arab partners continue to bicker among themselves, Iran remains a source of tension from across the water. A week after US President Donald J. Trump reluctantly […]