Category: Blogs

State of the Order: How the final month of 2023 shaped the democratic world order

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.

Charles Michel’s U-turn has not solved the thorny question of who the next European Council president will be

By Francis Shin

In early January, the current European Council president announced that he would run in the 2024 European Parliament elections, only to reverse his decision later the same month.

Ukraine opens new front with drone strikes on Russia’s energy sector

By Mykola Bielieskov

Ukraine is seeking to bring the war home to Russia in 2024 with a new long-range drone strike campaign against Putin's oil and gas industry, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Russia’s Bashkortostan protests: Separatism isn’t the real threat facing Putin

By Dylan Myles-Primakoff, Lillian Posner

The main risk to the Putin regime is unity and solidarity across regions between Russians protesting shared forms of mistreatment at the hands of the state, write Dylan Myles-Primakoff and Lillian Posner.

No more business as usual: The US needs a broader engagement strategy in West Africa

By Michael Shurkin

US influence in the Sahel has waned, and Washington needs to rethink its engagement there and in West Africa as a whole.

Experts react: US retaliation for the deadly attack in Jordan has begun. What’s next?

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts interpret the United States' ongoing strikes against Iran-linked targets—and how Tehran and its proxies might view this response.

Italy’s Mediterranean pivot: What’s driving Meloni’s ambitious plan with Africa

By Alissa Pavia

The Mattei Plan for Africa was presented on January 29-30 to a delegation of more than twenty-five African leaders. It seeks to establish an Italian agenda that prioritizes Africa's needs and avoids predatory practices.

Who will lead Indonesia after Jokowi? The world’s third-largest democracy is about to decide.

By Parker Novak

On February 14, Indonesians will choose among Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, and Anies Baswedan. And even more than the next president is being decided.

Iran is on its way to replacing Russia as a leading arms exporter. The US needs a strategy to counter this trend.

By Danny Citrinowicz  

The US must understand the seriousness of the situation: without active measures, it will be extremely tough to stop Iran from becoming a world leader in arms sales

Global China Newsletter: A paper leader—China’s inaction in the Middle East dashes misplaced hopes

By Dexter Tiff Roberts

The first 2024 edition of the Global China Newsletter.