New Atlanticist

Defending Europe Against Russia

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former secretary general of NATO, has some advice for European governments: invest more in defense in light of the threat posed by Russia. “I think more and more people understand that Russia has changed from being a strategic power to being a strategic challenge,” said Rasmussen. Rasmussen, who is also a […]

Rebuilding Trust in the European Union

By Rachel Ansley

Faced with challenges posed by Brexit, an unprecedented influx of migrants, and feeble economies, the European Union must work hard to rebuild confidence among European publics, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák said at the Atlantic Council on October 6. “Our main focus now is bringing the European Union closer to Europeans,” said Lajčák. Slovakia holds […]

Negotiating a Brexit

By Ashish Kumar Sen

EU will seek ‘best exit possible’ for the United Kingdom, says David O’Sullivan, EU’s ambassador to the United States The European Union wishes to negotiate the “best exit possible” for the United Kingdom from the bloc, said David O’Sullivan, the EU’s ambassador to the United States. “I don’t think it is a question of saying […]

Investing in a Solution to the Migrant Crisis

Nations that have taken in refugees must prioritize economic development while seeking political solutions to the crises that have forced migrants to flee their homes. Matthew T. McGuire, the US executive director at the World Bank Group, said “one of the biggest indicators for someone returning to their home country is how well they’ve fared […]

Inoculating Against a Cyber Attack

By Rachel Ansley

The recently reported vulnerability in insulin pumps, while not in itself a significant threat, underscores the danger posed by hackers who could take control of medical devices, according to Beau Woods, deputy director of the Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative. “The risks of connected medical devices can be anywhere on a spectrum: from almost none […]

Can an EU Army Be More Than Just a Pipe Dream?

By Lukas Trakimavičius

In recent weeks, the idea of establishing a European Union army was reintroduced to the public debate. During a visit to Lithuania, Germany’s defense minister, Ursula von der Leyden, noted that “it’s time to move forward to a European defense union.” Days later, in his State of the Union address, the president of the European […]

Colombia’s Peace Plebiscite: A Divided Nation

By Andrea Saldarriaga Jiménez

On October 2, Colombians rejected the peace agreement brokered between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The “no” vote won the plebiscite by less than 0.5 percent of the vote with only 37 percent of voter participation. The world is shocked and Colombians astonished. Polls leading up to the plebiscite had […]

Plebiscite Leaves Colombia’s Peace Process in Limbo

By Ashish Kumar Sen

On October 2, Colombian voters rejected a peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas. This was a “surprising” outcome of a plebiscite that has thrown into question the prospects for peace in the country, according to Atlantic Council analysts. “One could argue that it both complicates and eases this problem,” said […]

Georgia at a Crossroad

By Tedo Japaridze

Georgia today is a very different country from what it was four years ago. Owing in large part to its strong regional relationships and geographic location, Georgia has enhanced its partnerships with Europe and the United States, and has also become increasingly relevant to East Asia, largely through trade. It is now time to reflect […]

Gene Editing: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

In the 2016 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US National Intelligence Community, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper noted: “given the broad distribution, low cost, and accelerated pace of development of this dual-use technology [genome editing], its deliberate or unintentional misuse might lead to far-reaching economic and national security implications.” The CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly […]