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UkraineAlert

Oct 31, 2025

Europe finally moves to ban Russian gas but potential loopholes remain

By Aura Sabadus

The EU has recently moved to impose a full ban on Russian gas imports by 2028. After years of using energy exports to blackmail Europe and fund the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is finally facing the loss of its last European costumers, writes Aura Sabadus.

Conflict
Economic Sanctions

AfricaSource

Oct 31, 2025

Mali has not just plunged into crisis. It has been unraveling for years.

By Rama Yade and Hussein Ba

Mali’s crisis runs deeper than recent coups. Military fragmentation, jihadist expansion, and severed international ties have left the landlocked nation isolated, economically strained, and socially fractured.

Africa
Crisis Management

MENASource

Oct 31, 2025

Inside the divides of Iraq’s Coordination Framework—and why they matter ahead of landmark elections 

By Rend Al-Rahim

The November election will not necessarily determine who the next prime minister will be, but it will provide an opportunity to shift power dynamics within the fractious Shia bloc.

Elections
Iraq

New Atlanticist

Oct 31, 2025

How long can Sheinbaum keep her first-year momentum going in Mexico?

By María Fernanda Bozmoski, Valeria Villarreal

One year in, the Mexican president has made clear that she will not be defined by the legacy of her immediate predecessor or the actions of the US president.

Latin America
Mexico

New Atlanticist

Oct 31, 2025

Twenty-five years on, advancing the Women, Peace, and Security agenda is more urgent than ever

By Melanne Verveer and Ana Lejava

The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security on October 31, 2000, but its implementation remains incomplete.

International Norms
Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

New Atlanticist

Oct 31, 2025

How will Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ approach foreign policy?

By Kyoko Imai

While new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a protégé of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she will need to chart her own course for Tokyo in a changed world.

East Asia
Indo-Pacific

UkraineAlert

Oct 30, 2025

Russia’s advance on Pokrovsk exposes Ukraine’s growing manpower crisis

By Peter Dickinson

As Russian troops close in on the strategically crucial city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv’s growing manpower shortages are becoming increasingly apparent, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Oct 30, 2025

What does the US drawdown in Romania mean for European defense? 

By Atlantic Council experts

The drawdown marks the first officially announced step of the Trump administration’s planned pullback of its European force presence.

Central Europe
Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Oct 30, 2025

Belarusian balloons pose new threat in Putin’s hybrid war against Europe

By Hanna Liubakova

Lithuanian officials have accused neighboring Belarus of using balloons to violate EU airspace and disrupt air traffic as part of the Kremlin's ongoing hybrid war against Europe, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus
Conflict

New Atlanticist

Oct 30, 2025

Experts react: What does the Trump-Xi meeting mean for trade, technology, security, and beyond?

By Atlantic Council experts

The US and Chinese presidents met on Thursday to discuss issues ranging from tariffs to TikTok. Atlantic Council experts break down what came out of the tête-à-tête.

China
Geopolitics & Energy Security