New Atlanticist

When Political Realities Get in the Way of Transatlantic Growth

Political realities on both sides of the Atlantic have a significant impact on economic opportunity, and policymakers must address this dynamic in order to begin the process of stimulating European economic growth, José Manuel Barroso, a former president of the European Commission and former prime minister of Portugal, said at the Atlantic Council on March […]

Haste Makes Waste: Why President Trump’s Executive Actions May Delay Oil Pipelines and Permits

By David L. Goldwyn and Keith J. Benes

US President Donald J. Trump’s new actions intended to expedite approval of energy and infrastructure projects were hailed by industry groups and decried by environmentalists.   If those actions are implemented in ways that cut regulatory or procedural corners, they likely will slow down infrastructure development by increasing the risk of successful court challenges and trade […]

Deciphering Gazprom’s Pipeline Agenda in Europe

By Martin Vladimirov and Sijbren de Jong

Despite the tentative March 13 agreement between the European Commission and Gazprom on the liberalization of gas markets in Central and Eastern Europe, it is still premature to declare an end to the Russian energy giant’s dominance in the region. In its statement of promises, Gazprom pledges to remove destination clauses in its long-term contracts […]

Emigration Threatens Russia’s Stability

By Rachel Ansley

The rapidly climbing numbers of Russians fleeing the country in search of political freedom and economic opportunity in the West has become the greatest threat to the stability of the Russian Federation, said an Atlantic Council analyst. According to Alina Polyakova, director of research for Europe and Eurasia at the Atlantic Council, “the fact that […]

Africa Seen as Key to Addressing Global Challenges

By Rachel Ansley

An increase of investment and innovation in Africa has made the continent a rising power on the global stage and an essential partner for the United States in facing today’s myriad global challenges, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, said at the Atlantic Council on March 9. “The truth is we […]

A Roadmap for Economic Growth in Europe

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A new Atlantic Council report provides a roadmap for the European Union to stimulate economic growth, and, by doing so, safeguard the European project and reinvigorate the transatlantic alliance. The report, Charting the Future Now: European Economic Growth and its Importance to American Prosperity, was launched by the Atlantic Council’s EuroGrowth Initiative in Washington on […]

Negotiating Peace in Libya

In order to end the civil war in Libya, those competing for power must meet, negotiate, and establish a path to free and fair elections early in 2018, Jonathan Winer, a former US State Department special envoy for Libya, said at the Atlantic Council on March 9. The three factions claiming sole legitimacy and authority […]

WikiLeaks’ CIA Document Dump: More Questions than Answers

By Asvatha Babu

On March 7, WikiLeaks released a large collection of documents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with a catalogue of technical tools in the agency’s arsenal and the techniques it uses to get around privacy protections. This release has been compared to the ones facilitated by Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. While it is comparable […]

Is Reunification Within Reach in Cyprus?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as the leadership in Athens and Ankara, are committed to ensuring the success of a protracted process aimed at the reunification of Cyprus, a top United Nations (UN) official said at the Atlantic Council on March 8. “I am more and more convinced that all parties would like […]

Jordan’s Six Challenges at the Arab League Summit

By Shehab al-Makahleh

On March 29, Jordan will host the Arab League summit amid chaos across the Middle East.  There is speculation that Russia and Egypt are pressing the Arab League to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the summit in light of reports that Syrian military officers have visited Jordan and Egypt over the past few weeks. […]