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UkraineAlert

Sep 15, 2021

Vladimir Putin accused of weaponizing Russian gas

By Diane Francis

With construction work on Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline now complete, critics say Moscow is weaponizing gas deliveries to Europe in a bid to speed up the lengthy certification process.

European Union
Geopolitics & Energy Security

UkraineAlert

Sep 15, 2021

Ukraine’s top soccer stars join the country’s Ukrainian language renaissance

By David Kirichenko

Ukraine's national football team captain Andriy Yarmolenko recently conducted a press conference in Ukrainian, marking the latest small step forward in what is a wider renaissance of the Ukrainian language.

Resilience & Society
Ukraine

SouthAsiaSource

Sep 15, 2021

The implications of the Taliban’s new government for Afghanistan

By South Asia Center

The Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, in partnership with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, recorded a panel discussion on Tuesday, September 14 to discuss what the future holds for Afghanistan amid the Taliban’s new government and recent political developments in the country.

Afghanistan
Human Rights

MENASource

Sep 15, 2021

Renewed hostilities in Daraa offer lessons and opportunities in Syria. But will Washington pay attention?

By Alexander Langlois

Prolonged unrest in the south highlights rifts within the pro-Bashar al-Assad camp, notably between Iran and Damascus on one side and Russia on the other, potentially presenting a unique opportunity for diplomacy.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

BelarusAlert

Sep 14, 2021

Belarus dictator poses growing threat to Ukraine

By Lisa Yasko

Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka's growing dependence on the Kremlin is allowing Vladimir Putin to expand his military presence in Belarus and creating a new front in Russia's hybrid war against Ukraine.

Belarus
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 14, 2021

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy vows to fight for judicial reform

By Halyna Chyzhyk

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called an extraordinary meeting of politicians, diplomats, and members of the judiciary in order to prevent his flagship judicial reform drive from being sabotaged and derailed.

Corruption
Democratic Transitions

SouthAsiaSource

Sep 13, 2021

Afghanistan’s economy is in free fall mode

By Farshid Hakimyar

On August 18, Ajmal Ahmadi, the former governor of Afghanistan’s Central Bank, tweeted about the bank’s balance sheet, citing that all DAB assets are safeguarded in the US Federal Reserve, the World Bank, and the Bank of International Settlements in the form of US Treasury bills, bonds, gold and cash–a total of $9.6 billion that, just one day before the collapse, the US government had frozen and banned from all financial transactions.

Afghanistan
Economy & Business

MENASource

Sep 13, 2021

Defusing Saudi Arabia-UAE tensions through economic rebalancing

By Hani Findakly

By identifying the economic imbalances contributing to the breakdown, recalibration is possible to rebuild a more balanced relationship that circumvents the zero-sum game that has given rise to the Riyadh-Abu Dhabi dispute.

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2021

Afghanistan’s ex-central bank chief: The Taliban has money to ‘run an insurgency but not a government’

By Dan Peleschuk

At an Atlantic Council event, Ajmal Ahmady discussed how the Taliban must govern a country short on cash and mired in multiple crises.

Afghanistan
Conflict

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2021

Confronting the disaster left behind in Afghanistan

By Mir Sadat

The United States screwed up the endgame in Afghanistan once again, but working with allies and private rescue efforts, there's time to make things right.

Afghanistan
Conflict