Category: Blogs

Secretary General Details NATO’s Policy on Cyber Attacks and Article 5

By Jens Stoltenberg, NATO

In a crisis, the first responder will be the nation that is targeted. But NATO must be there to support any national efforts. This is a matter of planning and of political will; and making sure that we complement and reinforce each other.

A Better Award for Egyptian Women

Last week, local authorities in Luxor honored an Egyptian woman for dressing as a man for four decades to support her family. Days later, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi presented Sisa Abu Daooh with an award for being an exemplary mother. There is no discounting the burden and pressures Abu Daooh faced and awarding her […]

Less-Stringent Minsk II Terms Paved the Way for Renewed Sanctions

By John E. Herbst

On March 19, delegates at the European Union Summit in Brussels agreed to extend tough sanctions against Moscow—until year’s end if necessary—to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to implement the Minsk II ceasefire. Under terms of that deal, signed on February 12, EU sanctions won’t be lifted until Ukraine takes back full control of its […]

EconSource: Oil Prices Surge After Saudi Air Strikes in Yemen

By EconSource

Brent crude oil soared more than 4 percent towards $59 a barrel on Thursday after Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies began a military operation in Yemen. The air strikes against Houthi rebels, who have driven President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi from Yemen’s capital of Sana’a, could stoke concerns about the security of Middle East […]

Brazil’s Political Crisis and the Dilma Factor

By Ricardo Sennes

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is struggling with a loss of popularity and an inability to pass reforms that are critical to addressing the enormous economic challenges facing Brazil. The current political crisis is being driven by four key factors. The first is widespread discontent with the impunity and corruption of government officials, most notably those […]

Meet Europe’s Rising Defense Stars

By Derek Chollet, Defense One

[R]ecently a new generation of European defense leaders has emerged. They are offering bold defense ideas and willing to take political risks.

Top News: Egypt Officials Say Ground Operation Planned In Yemen

By MENASource

Egyptian security and military officials say Saudi Arabia and Egypt will lead a ground operation in Yemen against Shiite rebels and their allies after a campaign of airstrikes to weaken them. Three senior officials say that forces would enter by land from Saudi Arabia and by sea from the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. They said […]

Putin’s War Has Consolidated Ukraine

By Alexander Motyl

Viewed historically, the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war is the product of four deeper causes and one trigger. First, the Soviet empire’s collapse in 1991 propelled its successor state, Russia, to seek reimperialization for structural and ideological reasons. Second, the emergence of a “fascistoid” (or almost fully fascist) regime made imperial revival a central feature of Vladimir […]

Ukraine’s Powerful Billionaire Governor Quits After Clash With Kyiv

By New Atlanticist

Dnipropetrovsk’s Kolomoyskyi: Patriotic, Corrupt, Threatening—Or All Three? Ukrainian billionaire politician Ihor Kolomoyskyi resigned today as governor of Ukraine’s strategically critical Dnipropetrovsk province after clashing with the central government and parliament over control of two state-owned oil-sector companies. In that clash, Kolomoyskyi last week sent troops of an armed militia he controls to occupy the Kyiv […]