New Atlanticist

Venezuelan Opposition Looks for Game Changer in Bid to Oust Maduro

Venezuelans currently face “the challenge of beating by democratic means a regime that is not democratic,” said Julio Andrés Borges Junyent, the majority leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly and part of the opposition that is challenging the leadership of President Nicolás Maduro. On September 1, thousands of Venezuelans participated in a protest organized by the […]

In Syria, the United States Must Navigate a Complex Intelligence-Sharing Landscape With Russia

The Obama administration will carefully consider what intelligence it shares with Russia pertaining to enemy targets in Syria in part due to the belief that the Russians do not apply the same degree of care to avoiding civilian casualties, a senior US official said at the Atlantic Council on September 13. Noting that the US […]

Georgia’s European Choice ‘Irreversible,’ says Georgian Prime Minister

By Ashish Kumar Sen

In an election season in which Georgia’s NATO aspirations have been hotly debated, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili insists that his country’s European choice is “irreversible.” “An overwhelming majority of the people of Georgia consider the goal of joining EU and NATO to be a necessity that will lead to a higher standard of democracy, […]

Culture Under Threat: Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra as Case Study

By Vladislav Davidzon

In the last two years, it has become routine to acknowledge that the Maidan revolution unleashed torrents of creative energy in Ukraine. Myriad articles have been written about the ferment of cultural activity taking place across every discipline. Yet classic cultural institutions and performing arts groups continue to face many of the same problems they […]

White House Hopeful India Will Ratify Paris Climate Deal This Year

By Rachel Ansley

The White House is optimistic that India, a major polluter, will this year ratify the Paris climate agreement, increasing the likelihood that the deal that is intended to cut greenhouse gas emissions will come into effect before US President Barack Obama leaves office in January of 2017. “We are very, very committed to seeing this […]

Moldova’s Prime Minister Committed to a Pro-Europe Path

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip said his government is committed to European integration and expressed the hope that the country’s next president will share that same commitment. Moldova will hold its first direct presidential elections on October 30. Like in past elections, this one has split voters between pro-Europe and pro-Russia candidates. “I hope that […]

President Rahmon Takes Tajikistan Down a Dangerous Path

By Jeanne Fréchède

Faced with a weak economy and a resurgent Taliban across the border in Afghanistan, Tajikistan’s president, Emomali Rahmon, has employed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s counterterrorism rhetoric to justify repressive political and religious policies that he is using to silence his opponents. Frequently portrayed by commentators and analysts as being at risk of imminent collapse, Rahmon’s […]

Iran Seen Abiding by Terms of Nuclear Deal

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Iran is living up to the commitments it made as part of a nuclear agreement reached with six world powers in 2015, a senior State Department official said on September 9. “On the nuclear side, so far, Iran has lived up to its commitments, and that’s a good thing,” said Chris Backemeyer, deputy assistant secretary […]

It’s Too Soon to Write Off Angela Merkel

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Angela Merkel has acknowledged that the setback her party suffered in elections in an eastern state this past weekend was a repudiation of her welcome to Syrian migrants, but the Atlantic Council’s Fran Burwell said backing away from this controversial policy will only hurt the German chancellor further. “The voters would be more skeptical of […]

Obama Makes Final Asia Trip Amid Questions About US Reliability

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President Barack Obama’s final official trip to Asia comes amid uncertainty over the future of a signature trade pact aimed at preventing China from setting the rules of global trade and at a time when Beijing has shown an increasing willingness to challenge US power. Obama, who has described himself as the first Pacific […]