New Atlanticist

Kerry Goes to Bat for Free Trade

In Atlantic Council address, Secretary of State says case for TPP, TTIP ‘overwhelming’ US Secretary of State John F. Kerry delivered a strong pitch for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) April 23, saying the economic case for both deals is “overwhelming.” A day earlier, the Senate Finance Committee […]

A ‘Window of Opportunity’ for TPP, TTIP

By Ashish Kumar Sen

White House official makes pitch for free-trade deals as Senate panel backs Trade Promotion Authority Two free-trade agreements currently being negotiated by the Obama administration will ensure a level playing field and benefit American workers, a senior White House official said April 23 at the Atlantic Council. “If we do not do this … the […]

Defining US Strategy for a World in Transition

By Larry Luxner

With war tearing apart eastern Ukraine, ethnic strife claiming lives from Libya to Yemen, and record numbers of African refugees drowning in the Mediterranean, it’s easy to conclude that the once-familiar world order is falling apart. Whether or not that’s true, few scholars would dispute that the United States is no longer in charge as […]

Gazprom, Just Follow the Law

By Richard L. Morningstar

European energy security has received a great deal of attention on both sides of the Atlantic since Russia suspended gas shipments through Ukraine in the winter of 2009. In response to Ukraine’s experience, the European Union has taken steps to develop interconnectors and new liquefied natural gas facilities that would allow gas to flow to […]

The Kurdish Factor in Turkey’s Election

Things are not looking good for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) ahead of the parliamentary elections in June. The AKP may lose seats while the Kurdish political party, the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), and far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are expected to gain seats, according to recent polls.

Authoritarianism Stages a Comeback

From Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev to Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, dictators seem to be gaining the upper hand these days—outsmarting the most determined pro-democracy activists with a clever mix of 21st-century technology and old-fashioned repression.

The Hidden Costs of Russia’s Proposed Aircraft Supercarrier

By Nicholas Varangis

Why is Russia planning on building an aircraft supercarrier in the next decade? The answer may seem self-evident: Russia wants to challenge the United States as a global power.

Completing Europe: The North-South Corridor

By David Koranyi and Ian Brzezinski

Twenty-five years after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of a long process of European reunification, Europe has arrived at a historic inflection point. The European Union faces multiple external threats, including a resurgent Russia, growing global economic competition, and geopolitical upheaval.

Asian Bank not Intended to ‘Overthrow’ World Bank, says Chinese Official

By Ashish Kumar Sen

China’s proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will have a constructive and complementary relationship with both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and is not intended to “overthrow” either institution, Zhu Guangyao, China’s Vice Minister of Finance, said April 17 at the Atlantic Council. Instead, the AIIB will focus on economic development—particularly investing […]

Sharing the Stage with China

By Daniel Pearson

US position on investment bank risks isolating it from its partners The Obama administration’s mishandling of the emergence of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has meant that the United States now finds itself sitting outside the Chinese-led organization that includes many of Washington’s most significant regional and global partners and promises to be a […]