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MENASource

Sep 21, 2016

Factbox: Egypt’s Sisi Meets with Trump, Clinton in New York

By Jenna Amlani and Elissa Miller

On the sidelines of the 71st session of the United States General Assembly on September 19, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Sisi’s meetings with Trump and Clinton sparked considerable discussion around what the US-Egyptian relationship would look like under either presidency. Meanwhile, as in 2015, […]

North Africa

UkraineAlert

Sep 21, 2016

Meet Maxim Nefyodov: How Ukrainian Geeks Tackled Corruption in Public Procurement

By Anastasiya Ringis

One day in September 2013, when Maxim Nefyodov, a managing partner at the investment firm Icon Private Equity, was leaving his office on Rylskiy Lane, he witnessed a funny scene. Accompanied by eight bodyguards, President Viktor Yanukovych’s odious ally, Yuriy Ivanyushchenko, was walking from an office building to his luxury SUV. To Nefyodov this spectacle […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Sep 21, 2016

Does Putin Have 35 Million Secret Weapons?

By Lukas Trakimavičius

“Russia is back.” These were the recent words of General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe—and he was correct. Thanks to a rapidly growing arms budget and a worrisome frequency of snap military drills near NATO’s borders, Russia is indeed back to the game of power politics after a twenty-five year hiatus. The implications […]

Russia Ukraine
Russian nuclear attack submarine Severodvinsk

NATOSource

Sep 20, 2016

The Growing Russian Threat in the North Atlantic

By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr., Defense One

Russia could hinder US reinforcements headed to Europe in the event of a major war, warned the recently retired Supreme Allied Commander, Gen. Philip Breedlove….

NATO Russia
Swedish Marine participating in BALTOPS exercise, June 13, 2016

NATOSource

Sep 20, 2016

Swedish Military Told to Look Out for Foreign Spies

By The Local (Sweden)

Sweden’s military has urged staff to stay alert as more and more incidents that could be linked to suspected espionage are emerging across the country, report Swedish media.

Intelligence NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 20, 2016

Syria Ceasefire: Beyond Hope?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The United States and Russia have little chance of resurrecting the fragile Syria ceasefire, said Frederic C. Hof, director of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East. “The odds do not favor the ceasefire being salvaged, sad to say,” said Hof, who served in the Obama administration as a special adviser for […]

Russia Syria

SyriaSource

Sep 20, 2016

Who Will Succeed Al-Adnani?

By Feras Hanoush

The death of Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami, official spokesperson of ISIS, on August 30 dealt a harsh blow to the organization. Al-Adnani was killed in international coalition airstrikes while in the city of al-Bab in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, for the significant role he played in the Islamic State (ISIS) since the organization was […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Sep 20, 2016

Seventh Annual Global Citizen Awards Honors Exceptional, Diverse Leaders

By Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council presented its annual Global Citizen Awards in New York on September 19 to three exceptional individuals whose extraordinary leadership has been invaluable in addressing global challenges and fostering unity.

UkraineAlert

Sep 19, 2016

Putin’s Illusions about Crimea

By Olesya Yakhno

In the recent plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum [on September 3 in Vladivostok], Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the issue of Crimea’s ownership is historically closed. Despite the adamant tone, such statements do not show Russia’s confidence but instead reveal the Kremlin’s vulnerability on this issue. The concept Krym nash (Crimea is […]

Russia Ukraine
Swedish soldier participating in ISAF mission in Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2007

NATOSource

Sep 19, 2016

Sweden’s Surprise Decision to Keep Troops in Gotland Linked to Top Secret Threat

By The Local (Sweden)

Information about an increased threat from Russia was a contributing factor in Sweden’s decision to station permanent troops on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland, according to a newspaper report.

Northern Europe Russia