New Atlanticist

The Fall of Aleppo… And What Happens Next

By Rachel Ansley

The fall of Aleppo to the Russian-backed Syrian army marks the turning of the tide in the Syrian civil war, and leaves the remaining rebels and besieged citizens with little safe recourse from the advance of government forces, according to an Atlantic Council expert. “I think this war of frontlines where the opposition tries to […]

US Must Deliver a ‘Painful’ Response to Putin for Russian Meddling

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Michael Morell, on Russia, Donald Trump, and the US intelligence community There are huge national security implications of Russia’s meddling in the US presidential elections, which is why the Obama administration must deliver an overt response that is painful to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Michael Morell, […]

Peak Demand Comes to Paris

By Robert J. Johnston

December 5 was probably not a happy day for tourists in Paris. The good news was the traffic was much better than usual, and the Metro and other forms of public transit were free. The bad news was that the city was having yet another pollution crisis. Choking smog and murky air are often associated […]

Energy Reform Takes Hold in Mexico

By Lourdes Melgar

Three years after its historic approval, with the conclusion of Round One and the first farm out of Pemex, Mexico’s energy reform in the upstream—the exploration and production sector—is beginning to consolidate itself.  On December 5, for the first time in Mexico’s history, international and national oil companies bid competitively for blocks in the deep […]

Mr. Trump, Put the Ball in Eritrea’s Court

With the growing threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham in Africa and shifting alliances in the region with the Arab Gulf states and Egypt, it is in the best interest of the incoming US administration to reassess engagement with Eritrea, a country which could play a significant strategic role in countering conflict […]

‘Channeling Brussels’ with Sandy Vershbow

By Teri Schultz

Former NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow on the challenge posed by Russia When someone with the long-range perspective of Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow says relations with Russia are the worst he’s seen in his entire career, everyone should take notice. In this week’s “Channeling Brussels,” Vershbow calls 2014, with Russia’s takeover of Ukraine’s Crimea […]

Don’t Ignore Africa

By Rachel Ansley

Though Africa did not feature prominently in the US presidential campaign, the continent must be a key foreign policy consideration for the incoming administration not only due to its strategic, economic, security, and geopolitical significance, but also in light of competition from other aspiring partners, the former commander of the US Africa Command said at […]

Trump is Making Asia Anxious

Exemplified by his extraordinary phone conversation with the leader of Taiwan and his tweets criticizing China, US President-elect Donald Trump’s undefined stance on Asia has created uncertainty and anxiety throughout the region. “The United States is a very important strategic and economic partner,” consequently, countries throughout the region are “anxious to find out what the […]