Category: Blogs

Baltic Military Chiefs to Call for Permanent NATO Presence

By Andrius Sytas and David Mardiste, Reuters

Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will seek a permanent presence of NATO troops on their territory to counter increased Russian air and naval activity, the Lithuanian army said on Thursday.

EconSource: Yemen War Could Strangle Strategic Sea Trade Routes

By EconSource

With Saudi Arabia and Iran squaring up on opposing sides in the Yemen war, the dangers to vital oil tanker and goods voyages are growing.

Four Reasons to Be Hopeful About Ukraine’s Economy

By Yuriy Gorodnichenko

Ukraine’s current economic crisis was years in the making. Former President Viktor Yanukovych grossly mismanaged and looted the country. And it may take years for the country to fully recover. But there are signs that the economy has reached the lowest point and its prospects are brighter than commonly portrayed in the press.

NATO Says Russia’s Nuclear Rhetoric Irresponsible

By Alex Barker, Financial Times

Russia is irresponsibly stepping up its nuclear rhetoric in a bid to rattle the west, Nato’s military chief has said, underlining the alliance’s concern about Russian threats to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea.

Turkey’s Role in a Shifting Syria

By Aaron Stein

In recent weeks, a Turkish backed umbrella group dubbed Jaysh al-Fateh has taken control of Idlib, prompting speculation that the group’s recent advance could mark a turning point in the war.

Imposing Costs on Putin Will Deter War

By John E. Herbst

“Russia and America: Stumbling to War,” a recent National Interest article by Graham Allison and Dimitri Simes, commands attention because of the gravity of the issue and the stature of its authors. Allison is a leading authority on great power relations, and Dimitri Simes is a scholar with deep connections to the elites running Russia.

A Toothless Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan

By Tuqa Nusairat

The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood finds itself increasingly under the spotlight as it battles regional and domestic pressures aimed at significantly toning down its already quiet presence in the Kingdom.

As Greek Crisis Looms, Sovereign Debt Restructuring Takes Center Stage

As countries such as Argentina, Greece, and Ukraine struggle to pay down their debt, it is “clear that sovereign debt issues are important today, but they’ll be even more important tomorrow,” says the Atlantic Council’s Andrea Montanino. “The question on the minds of many is whether we will see another Greek default and what [will […]

A Coup in Burundi?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s Pham sees risk of another civil war as fired General claims to be in control While details of a reported coup against Burundi’s President, Pierre Nkurunziza, by his former intelligence chief are fuzzy, it is clear that the Central African nation with a long history of civil war and political unrest risks descending […]

Coup Attempt in Burundi: Unanswered Questions

Embattled Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania today for talks with the East African Community (EAC) about the political crisis in his country. After more than three weeks of often-violent demonstrations in the capital against what protesters call an unconstitutional third term attempt by the sitting president, elements of the military […]