Category: Blogs

An Economic Roadmap for Germany

By Daniel Andrich

On September 24, Germany held an election for its federal parliament, the Bundestag, and as many forecasters had predicted, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged as the strongest party.  For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, six political groups consisting of seven parties sit in the Bundestag. With new […]

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s Lone Path to Survival

By Saleem al-Omar

The fate of Idlib, the Syrian opposition’s last major stronghold, is coming to a head. Militarily, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is in control, but this military control is severely threatened. HTS could lose this control at any moment and is looking to find another way to continue to exert control over the affairs of the […]

Should the United States Arm Ukraine?

While analysts agree that diplomacy is the ideal route to ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine, they disagree on whether the United States sending defensive weapons to Ukraine will achieve that end. On September 22, the Atlantic Council, in collaboration with the Charles Koch Institute, hosted a debate between experts: Should the United States Arm […]

The Fourth-Term Challenge

By Tyson Barker

The German electorate has dealt Angela Merkel a wake-up call. Her new term will define her legacy.

How to Keep the Russian Bear Out of Ukraine’s Energy Sector

By Olga Bielkova and Anders Åslund

Russia is at war with Ukraine. This is a hybrid war with many arms. One of them is energy. The Kremlin has weaponized the energy trade between Russia and Ukraine to impose a client-state status on Ukraine. Given its weak negotiating position, Ukraine had to accept Gazprom’s unjustified prices. Facing the threat of supply interruptions, […]

Patriot: Working Hard to Bring Home Ukrainian POWs

By Vera Zimmerman

The situation with prisoners of war being held in Ukraine’s occupied Donbas is a tragedy. Some have been locked up for over two years, some tortured, and a few executed. Access to them by international missions is usually denied. Despairing families sometimes fall prey to swindlers seeking ransom. Since the war is officially undeclared, these […]

(Too) Much Ado About Germany’s Far-Right?

By Teri Schultz

European parliamentarian Elmar Brok says post-election Germany is no “problem case” Elmar Brok is the longest-serving lawmaker in the European Parliament (EP), a member of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who’s known her personally for nearly three decades. Brok, who spoke out forcefully against the extreme right during the recent election campaign, […]

After the referendum: Negotiation is still possible

By Harith Hasan

Monday’s referendum in Kurdistan resulted in a situation whereby all parties lack good options. To be sure, Masoud Barzani, the leader of Kurdistan Region Government (KRG), achieved some immediate political gains. He managed to mobilize his base by calling for and conducting the referendum despite international objections. In doing so, he strengthened his political stance […]

Germany’s ‘Lame Duck’ Chancellor

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was re-elected on September 24, will be a “lame duck” in her fourth, and likely final, term in office, according to Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference and Atlantic Council board director. “There are those in her party and sister party that will want to start having a […]