Content

Markup

May 20, 2021

MARKUP: Our experts annotate Biden’s new executive order on cybersecurity

By Cyber Statecraft Initiative

To help unpack President Joe Biden's new executive order on cybersecurity, Atlantic Council experts and friends mark up the order with their thoughts on what it means for the government and private sector.

Cybersecurity
Digital Policy

UkraineAlert

May 20, 2021

Biden softens sanctions on Putin’s pipeline

By Diane Francis

The Biden administration has this week announced a mixed bag of sanctions and waivers concerning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, leaving opponents of Putin’s pet energy project confused and alarmed.

Geopolitics & Energy Security
Germany

BelarusAlert

May 19, 2021

Dialog of dictators: How Putin and Lukashenka really talk to each other

By Brian Whitmore

Meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka have become more frequent since the outbreak of anti-regime protests in Belarus last year, but details remain vague.

Belarus
Politics & Diplomacy

GeoTech Cues

May 19, 2021

Games with serious consequences: Extremist movements and kayfabe

By Richard J. Cordes

Extremist movements and emergent collectives have found a home in online communities and platforms. In this piece, Nonresident Fellow R.J. Cordes outlines how such groups blur the lines between games and reality and presents a strategy for handling online collectives effectively.

Digital Policy
Disinformation

Op-Ed

May 19, 2021

A Green chancellor (yes, a Green chancellor) will keep Germany and Europe safe

By Roderick Kefferpütz

Though they are a movement formed by peaceniks, the German Greens realize that the challenge of our time, besides climate change, is the systemic conflict between democracy and authoritarianism, writes a Green strategist.

Europe & Eurasia
Germany

IranSource

May 19, 2021

Iran sanctions relief will continue funding the ongoing war in Syria

By Kenan Rahmani and Cameron Khansarinia

As the Joe Biden administration negotiates a potential return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Vienna, Tehran’s backing of the Bashar al-Assad regime should not be left off the table.

Iran
Middle East

Event Recap

May 19, 2021

Event recap | Computing to win: Bridging the AI compute divide

By the GeoTech Center

On Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. EDT, the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center hosted a panel of experts focused on the future of national AI strategy and the computational infrastructure needed to advance AI ambitions.

Digital Policy
Internet

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2021

President Zelenskyy: Deoligarchization is the key to Ukraine’s future success

By Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the recent measures imposed against Viktor Medvedchuk are just the beginning and argues that deoligarchization holds the key to Ukraine's future success.

Corruption
Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2021

Ukraine’s EU Association Agreement obliges Kyiv to pursue rule of law reforms

By Willem Aldershoff

Ukraine's landmark 2014 EU Association Agreement contains a number of often overlooked commitments that oblige Kyiv to remain firmly on the path towards reform and the rule of law.

Corruption
European Union

UkraineAlert

May 18, 2021

Naftogaz drama highlights Ukraine’s politics of personal destruction

By Adrian Karatnycky

In Ukraine, it seems, no public leader leaves office without being subjected to a wave of invective, criticism, and scorn. This negative culture was on display recently during a turbulent leadership change at Naftogaz.

Energy Markets & Governance
Political Reform