Category: Blogs

China’s soft power during the coronavirus is winning over the Gulf states

By Jonathan Fulton

As COVID-19 continues to batter the world, China has managed an impressive transition. A recent article in the New York Times notes that, through the short life of the coronavirus crisis, China has been able to reposition itself not as “the authoritarian incubator of a pandemic but as a responsible global leader at a moment […]

Event recap | Why data trusts could help us better respond and rebuild from COVID-19 globally

By Corina LJ DuBois

On April 15, 2020, Lord Tim Clement-Jones and Dame Wendy Hall shared their perspectives in a live video discussion titled "Why data trusts could help us better respond and rebuild from COVID-19 globally" and moderated by David Bray, PhD, Atlantic Council GeoTech Center Director on the role of Data Trusts in the global response to and recovery from COVID-19.

Russian Church in Ukraine fuels coronavirus outbreak

By Victor Tregubov

The Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine has emerged as a key source of coronavirus infection in the country over the past week after church officials refused to follow government lock down guidelines.

“Disaster Diplomacy” and the US response to COVID-19

By C. Anthony Pfaff

Global efforts to engage in "disaster diplomacy" during the COVID-19 virus have not met with much success. This failure has as much to do with the nature of the virus as it does with the nature of the response. Getting disaster diplomacy right requires alignment of ends, means, and interests. Otherwise, it risks being perceived as exploitive or ineffective.

COVID-19: The last nail in the coffin of Iran’s tourism industry?

By Giorgio Cafiero

While global tourism is suffering worldwide amid this terrifying pandemic, Iranians dependent on tourism will continue to suffer for the foreseeable future.

NATO in the fight against coronavirus: Coordinating, contributing, controlling, and communicating

By Conor Rodihan and Connor McPartland

NATO’s proven capabilities to respond to the call of its Allies and support them in times of greatest need ensures that the Alliance will be able to emerge from this crisis strong and ready to take on the next challenge.

Sanitizing supply chains can jumpstart coronavirus-ridden transatlantic economy

By Barbara C. Matthews

Transatlantic policymakers must urgently find new ways to address this deepening crisis at the core of the interdependent economy that delivers economic growth and jobs. This requires finding ways right now to reactivate supply chains and increase confidence in supply chain control processes throughout this crisis.

World leaders criticize Trump’s WHO decision, IMF says coronavirus biggest economic toll since Great Depression

By Atlantic Council

US President Donald J. Trump’s suspension of funding to the World Health Organization (WTO) was criticized by top world leaders, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the coronavirus crisis will take the biggest toll on the global economy since the 1930s Great Depression. A ninety-nine-year-old army veteran has raised millions for the UK’s health service by walking laps of his garden.

Tech, data, and leadership: pandemic geopolitics and recovery post-COVID

When: Wed, 22 April 11:00-12:00pm EDT Where: Co-hosted by the Atlantic Council GeoTech Center and WEBIT Virtual What: A virtual roundtable discussion on "the Coronavirus Crisis, Tech Innovation, and associated Geopolitical Impact" to include what tech innovators and world leaders can do re: the long-term global recovery.

President Duque outlines how Colombia is handling dual coronavirus challenges

By David A. Wemer

For most countries around the world, the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has strained resources and demanded singular attention from policymakers. For Colombia, this new crisis must also be juggled with the ongoing collapse of neighboring Venezuela, which has already seen 2 million Venezuelans seek refuge in Colombia. “We have had to manage two crises at the same time,” President Iván Duque explained on April 14, which forced Colombia to take drastic measures to contain coronavirus earlier than many of its neighbors.