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UkraineAlert

Jan 9, 2020

President Zelenskyy’s New Year message misreads Ukraine’s patriotic progress

By Taras Kuzio

President Zelenskyy used his traditional New Year's Eve address to celebrate Ukrainian diversity but his attempt to downplay the importance of national symbols was not well-received by Ukrainians who feel increasingly self-confident about their national identity

Democratic Transitions Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Jan 9, 2020

Democratic lawmakers criticize Trump administration policy after Soleimani targeting

By David A. Wemer

“This entire escalatory lead up,” Murphy contended, “was all an exercise of choice.” While both Democratic lawmakers conceded that Soleimani—who led the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force—was an enemy of the United States and responsible for the deaths of US soldiers, they called into question the administration’s decision to target Soleimani on Iraqi soil and at a moment of such high tensions in the region.

Conflict Iran

UkraineAlert

Jan 9, 2020

Beyond the impeachment drama: Why Ukraine matters to America

By Mark Temnycky

The impeachment of President Donald Trump has thrust relations between the United States and Ukraine into the spotlight, but some in the United States have yet to appreciate the importance of bilateral ties for broader American interests on the global stage.

Conflict Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Jan 9, 2020

Qasem Soleimani and escalatory parity

By Frederic C. Hof

For the better part of forty years, American action and inaction have persuaded the Islamic Republic that it could act with impunity; that the United States feared the escalatory implications of push-back. That dangerous, destabilizing belief seems to have been suspended with the killing of Soleimani.

Iran Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Jan 9, 2020

Prisoner exchange lifts the veil on Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine

By Adrian Karatnycky

Moscow's insistence on the inclusion of figures with no apparent relationship to the conflict in eastern Ukraine during a recent prisoner exchange has exposed the nationwide scale of Russia's hybrid hostilities against Ukraine.

Conflict Non-Traditional Threats

IranSource

Jan 9, 2020

Qasem Soleimani: From meme to martyr

By Suzanne Kianpour

The Quds Force commander was seen by some as the future of Iran’s leadership, in recent years having evolved out of the shadows of spymaster to increasingly in the spotlight as a celebrity officer who took selfies with Shia militias. Now, the seemingly untouchable commander is a martyr—something he always said he dreamed of—and the memes have gone international.

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Jan 8, 2020

The context of today’s Libyan crisis and what to watch for

By Karim Mezran, Emily Burchfield

On April 4, 2019, troops led by Khalifa Haftar, a former general of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi who now contests the authority of the UN-sponsored Government of National Accord (GNA) seated in Tripoli, launched an attack against the Libyan capital. The real reasons for staging such an attack on that specific day are still unclear.

Libya Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Jan 8, 2020

After Maduro’s latest ploy, what’s next for the Venezuelan opposition?

By Jasper Gilardi

"The images of Juan Guaidó and other democratically-elected members of the National Assembly being physically barred from entering the assembly building was visible proof of how far Nicolás Maduro is willing to go to deny any semblance of democracy in Venezuela," Jason Marczak says.

Civil Society Corruption

IranSource

Jan 8, 2020

Both the United States and Iran proved their points. Now they need to de-escalate tensions

By Robert Czulda

After Trump’s press conference, there are some good reasons to be optimistic and believe that both sides will remain restrained. However, on the other hand, in the Middle East restraint is very often seen not as a virtue, but as a sign of weakness which has to be exploited by one’s enemies.

Conflict Iran

New Atlanticist

Jan 8, 2020

De-escalation still possible after Iran’s missile retaliation

By Atlantic Council

Iran avoided a central US red line, and "therefore, the Trump administration will have the opportunity to test Iranian claims that they truly do not seek any further escalation," Will Wechsler says.

Conflict Iran
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