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UkraineAlert

Jun 29, 2020

How fake news helped hide Soviet genocide in Ukraine

By Georgiy Kent

Stalin’s man-made famine in 1930s Ukraine ranks as one of the worst crimes of the twentieth century but it remains relatively unknown. The new movie "Mr. Jones" seeks to counter decades of disinformation.

Disinformation Media

New Atlanticist

Jun 29, 2020

How revelations of Russian bounties in Afghanistan could escalate the US-Russia feud

By David A. Wemer

"The United States and its democratic allies have options," to push back against Moscow, but they must "think through the challenge with care and in context of the larger challenge Putin poses for us," Daniel Fried says.

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Jun 29, 2020

Russian bounties on US troops signify a dangerous new phase in relations

By Doug Klain

The United States and its allies must listen to the warnings of intelligence agencies and recognize this coordinated campaign of destabilization for what it is: a new and lethal threat shared by each country within which Putin’s agents are operating. The Hot Peace is heating up.

Politics & Diplomacy Russia

New Atlanticist

Jun 29, 2020

A divided Taliban could unleash a new proxy war in Afghanistan

By Jared Schwartz and Yelena Biberman

The shift in the balance of power within the Taliban has the potential to upend Afghan security, India-Pakistan relations, and the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Conflict

The future is here

Jun 29, 2020

Grim virus milestones marked by India, Brazil, and US; Amazon workers stay home

By Atlantic Council

The number of coronavirus cases topped 10 million and deaths surpassed 500,000 worldwide, with the grim milestones marked by an increase in cases in India, Brazil, and the United States. Amazon workers in Germany stayed off work on safety concerns.

Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Jun 29, 2020

NAFTA’s successor is about to take effect. Here’s why it will be good for North America—and bad for the WTO

By Hung Tran

While the USMCA preserves free-trade flows among the three member countries, its use by the United States as a template for future trade negotiations, starting with the EU and the United Kingdom, would have a far-reaching effect on future developments of world trade.

Mexico Trade and tariffs

UkraineAlert

Jun 27, 2020

Russia is quietly occupying Ukraine’s information space

By Taras Kuzio

Viktor Medvedchuk is Ukraine's leading pro-Kremlin politician and a personal friend of Vladimir Putin. Medvedchuk's expanding media empire is sparking concerns over Russian influence in Ukraine's information space.

Conflict Disinformation

AfricaSource

Jun 26, 2020

The Sudan Partnership Conference: A turning point for Sudan?

By Cameron Hudson

The world came to Berlin yesterday (at least virtually) as part of a United Nations, European Union, and German government-sponsored “Partners Forum for Sudan.” By all accounts, it was a triumph, and potentially a turning point, for the fragile transitional civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, pulling in an announced $1.8 billion in assistance to Sudan.

Africa Democratic Transitions

New Atlanticist

Jun 26, 2020

What’s behind Russia’s decision to ditch its ban on Telegram?

By Justin Sherman

For years, the Kremlin was involved in cat-and-mouse efforts to block the use of Telegram, the encrypted messaging app, within Russia. Concerns about Telegram stem from the Kremlin’s concerns about the internet in general. The app enables the free flow of information, and especially when that information is encrypted, as Telegram’s is, the Kremlin sees the state’s narratives, its law enforcement surveillance capabilities, and Russia’s culture and public sphere as under threat. On June 18, however, Russia’s internet and media regulator Roskomnadzor said that it’s ending requirements to restrict Telegram access.

Cybersecurity Internet

New Atlanticist

Jun 26, 2020

Germany may not like the American messenger. But it should heed his message.

By Jeffrey Lightfoot

The US president and the German government have given up on one another and withdrawn to their own camps, ignoring the growing structural issues in their bilateral ties that promise to linger no matter who wins the US presidential elections this fall.

Defense Policy Germany