Category: Blogs

This is Why Africa Matters to the United States

The cuts to foreign aid proposed in US President Donald Trump’s new budget, if passed, would drastically diminish US influence in Africa, threaten US security interests, and make way for countries like China to fill the void, according to a former White House official. “We can’t be ceding this space to China and to other […]

TRADE in ACTION – May 25, 2017

By Global Business & Economics Program

This week in TradeinAction: In the United States, President Trump released his budget for the fiscal year 2018. Meanwhile in Europe: The Group of Seven (G-7) Summit in Taormina, Italy starts tomorrow, and Chancellor Merkel meets with former President Obama in Berlin and then with President Trump in Brussels today

Putin, Not Trump, Has Led NATO Members to Increase Defense Spending

By Kelly Russo

While US President Donald J. Trump admonished the United States’ NATO allies at a meeting in Brussels on May 25 for not spending enough on collective defense, it is the threat posed by Russia that has been a bigger factor in galvanizing the allies’ defense commitments, according to a former deputy secretary general of NATO. […]

The Barak al-Shati Massacre Shows a Weakened UN-Supported Government and a Fractured Country

By Hani Shennib

On May 18, militias belonging to the Misratan Third Force and its affiliates launched an attack on the Libyan National Army (LNA) in Barak al-Shati, an airport base in the Libyan province of Fezzan, and killed 141 Libyan army personnel and civilians, according to LNA sources. Many were unarmed and were shot in the head […]

Trump’s Plan to Slash Foreign Aid is Out of Step with History

By Michael Sheldrick

As US President Donald J. Trump prepares to head off for Memorial Day weekend, he should pause and reflect on the nature of war and reconsider his administration’s plans to gut American soft power. History tells us that support for overseas development initiatives and institutions like the United Nations is critical for promoting peace, security, […]

Ukrainians Discover Europe This Summer. Will Europe Discover Ukraine?

By James Brooke

Ukraine is embarking on its summer of Europe. On June 11, summer starts with a boom. That’s when visa-free tourism begins for Ukrainians, allowing them to visit the twenty-six countries of Europe’s Schengen zone, including the four non-EU members. Only Britain and Ireland are excluded. To carry the tourists, discount airlines Wizz Air and Ryanair […]

It’s Counterintuitive, but Arming Ukraine Will Actually Save US Taxpayers Money

By Stephen Blank

In April, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked, “Why should US taxpayers be interested in Ukraine?” Now, the United States does not always provide assistance or help defend other victims of aggression, so the answer must go beyond the simple observation that Ukraine is the victim of premeditated aggression. I see five reasons why. First, […]

The Obvious Mistake We Make in Fighting Russian Disinformation

By Geysha Gonzalez

“The person who tells their story best, wins,” said Jed Willard of the FDR Center for Global Engagement at Harvard University in Prague on May 17, succinctly explaining the challenges of fighting disinformation. Willard and 330 other experts from twenty-nine countries gathered in Prague for a strategic communications summit (STRATCOM) hosted by European Values, a […]

Manchester Bombing Puts Libya’s ISIS Problem Back in the Spotlight

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A horrific suicide bombing in Manchester has put a spotlight on Libya—the North African nation where the chaos that has prevailed for the better part of the past six years has become a fertile breeding ground for a mélange of terrorist groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). “What Manchester shows is […]

Securing Eastern Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

American airstrikes on a pro-Assad regime, Iranian-backed militia on May 18th and a Department of Defense press briefing on the following day provided clues of how the campaign to liberate eastern Syria—especially the Euphrates River Valley (which includes the cities of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor)—from ISIS (ISIL, Daesh, Islamic State) is shaping up. A key […]