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UkraineAlert

May 26, 2020

Statement by former US Ambassadors to Ukraine

By Atlantic Council Eurasia Center

Former US ambassadors to Ukraine emphasize the importance of the US-Ukraine relationship.

Politics & Diplomacy Ukraine
gtc photo of currencies in jars

Digital currencies

May 26, 2020

Going deeper: Central bank digital currencies and how best to design them to benefit everyone

By Corina DuBois

On May 19, 2020 - Lisa Pollina, Gabriel Abed, George Bachiashvili, Shane Glynn, Aditi Kuma shared perspectives on "The digital dollar: Do we need it and how do we build it?" as part of a live video discussion moderated by Michael Greenwald. The discussion focused what exactly is a digital dollar? How would it work, how could it best be designed, and who would manage it?

Cybersecurity Digital Currencies

UkraineAlert

May 24, 2020

Ukraine’s showbiz president shuns mainstream media

By Tetiana Gaiduk

Volodymyr Zelenskyy won the Ukrainian presidency with a campaign that positioned him as an everyman alternative to the country's discredited political elite, but a lack of media engagement now risks undermining his democratic credentials.

Democratic Transitions Internet

New Atlanticist

May 21, 2020

How societies can fight pandemics and climate change at the same time

By David A. Wemer

While many officials worry about their potential bandwidths to deal with two major problems at the same time, Dr. Aaron Bernstein explained that both crises “share the same causes and that means they share the same solutions.”

Climate Change & Climate Action Coronavirus

UkraineAlert

May 21, 2020

Russo-Ukrainian War: Zelenskyy unable to find path to peace with Putin

By Peter Dickinson

President Zelenskyy’s talk of a new approach to peace with Russia proved hugely attractive to the war-weary Ukrainian public in 2019. However, one year on, there is very little to show for this initial optimism.

Conflict Russia

New Atlanticist

May 21, 2020

Guatemalan president criticizes US over lack of COVID-19 assistance

By Larry Luxner

“Guatemala is an ally of the United States, but I don’t believe the US is an ally to Guatemala, because they don’t treat us like one,” he said. “We’ve seen how they’ve assisted other countries with ventilators, and we haven’t even gotten a dime from them—not even one single mask from the United States. We don’t feel appreciated.”

Central America Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

May 21, 2020

Will COVID-19 exacerbate or defuse conflicts in the Middle East?

By Masoud Mostajabi

With the virus has come the reshuffling of priorities needed to combat the pandemic, casting new light on these long-running conflicts. On May 20, 2020, the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary A. DiCarlo sat down with the Atlantic Council’s Future of Iran Initiative director Barbara Slavin to discuss potential new openings to advance peace in the region.

Coronavirus Middle East

IranSource

May 21, 2020

Iran and the US ‘meet’ again over Afghanistan

By Barbara Slavin

Iran has shown a willingness to engage with the US when the time and venue are right.

Afghanistan Iran

EnergySource

May 21, 2020

Carbon capture and the Allam Cycle: The future of electricity or a carbon pipe(line) dream?

By David Yellen

The race to net-zero emissions is an uphill one. Despite the effects of climate change mounting and time running out, global energy demand is set to grow 50 percent by 2050. One solution to decarbonizing the global energy system while also meeting rising natural gas demand is carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). However, CCUS has historically been too expensive to be viable, and deployment remains far off track. Enter the Allam Cycle: a novel natural gas power plant design that can theoretically capture 100 percent of emissions while being cost- and efficiency-competitive with advanced natural gas plants.

Energy & Environment Energy Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 21, 2020

Ukraine’s novice president may yet live up to the hype

By Tetiana Popova

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has struggled to match the sky high expectations that accompanied his historic 2019 election win, but he has done enough during his first year to suggest he may yet live up to the hype, says Tetiana Popova.

Crisis Management Democratic Transitions