New Atlanticist

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 […]

Italian Voters Deal Leadership Blow to Europe

By Rachel Ansley

The victory of the “no” vote in the Italian referendum is not simply a rejection of reform, but will result in a significant loss of leadership on the European stage with the resignation of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, according to Andrea Montanino, director of the Global Business and Economics Program at the Atlantic Council. Montanino, […]

Taking Stock of the Challenge Posed by Russia

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US representative to the OSCE, Daniel B. Baer, responds to European call for arms control talks with Moscow The United States shares European concerns about the erosion of Russian compliance with international treaties, but “it is not self-evident that the way forward is new commitments,” as has been proposed by the foreign ministers of fourteen […]