Category: Blogs

President-Elect Trump, Do More Trade with Mexico

US President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric denouncing free-trade deals, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has created a climate of uncertainty for the global market. Instead, increased US trade links and collaboration with Mexico would be beneficial for both countries, a former member of the National Innovation and Competitiveness Strategy Advisory Board said […]

Trump’s Unsurprising Triumph

By Richard R. Burt

Donald J. Trump’s election as the forty-fifth president of the United States of America has brought a deep sense of uncertainty for the future, but it should come as no surprise when considering the conditions that made it possible for this New York City billionaire to win the highest office in the land. Three factors, […]

German Lawmaker: Europe Must Consider Own Nuclear Deterrence Capability

By Andrea Shalal, Reuters

Europe needs to think about developing its own nuclear deterrent strategy given concerns that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could scale back U.S. military commitments in Europe, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives said.

Why Georgia Deserves More Love from the EU, NATO, and the US

By Eka Gigauri

On November 11, Mikheil Saakashvili stole the show again. After resigning from his post as regional governor of Odesa oblast in Ukraine, he vowed to build a new political party and called for early parliamentary elections there. While Saakashvili dominates the news cycle and pundits continue to examine his every move, it’s worth taking a […]

Factbox: On the IMF Loan to Iraq

By Sali Mahdy

In late September, the Iraqi parliament voted to dismiss Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari over corruption allegations. Zebari had led Iraq’s efforts to secure aid to manage its economic crisis, and most recently, successfully negotiated an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan for Iraq. A day after the vote, the IMF reaffirmed its commitment to work with […]

The Uncertainty of Trump and the Middle East

By H.A. Hellyer

As the United States recoils from the aftershock of an outsider from the DC establishment—President-elect Donald Trump—winning the presidency, the international community, including the Arab world and the wider Middle East, does the same. There will be those who will favor his victory –Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt being the most obvious example – but […]

Former NATO Leaders to Trump: Don’t Make Bad Deals with Putin

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Anders Fogh Rasmussen warn against turning Ukraine into a ‘bargaining chip’ US President-elect Donald Trump must not strike any deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin that turn Ukraine into a “bargaining chip,” and must send a clear signal of commitment to the security of the United States’ NATO allies, two former […]

Governance Battle Crucial in Iraq, says Retired Gen. David H. Petraeus

By Ashish Kumar Sen

This is Part 2 of a two-part interview. Retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus believes that the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, while a “generational” one, will eventually be won. The more consequential battle, he contends, is the war that will follow: for governance. In Syria, Petraeus said, while Russia’s military […]

The Impact of the Kurdish-Led Campaign to Isolate Raqqa

By Haid Haid

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced in a statement on November 5 that they would be launching Operation Euphrates’s Wrath to isolate Raqqa—the Islamic State (ISIS)’s de facto capital. The operation—backed by the US-led coalition—aims to encircle Raqqa by taking control of surrounding villages and access routes to weaken ISIS and ultimately liberate the […]

‘Channeling Brussels’ with Federica Mogherini

By Teri Schultz

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on 2016 US presidents and EU challenges Welcome to the inaugural episode of “Channeling Brussels”, a new podcast on transatlantic foreign and security policy that bypasses the blah blah blah and digs  deep. As your host, I’ve been covering the European Union and NATO for a decade for major […]