Category: Blogs

What Really Happened in Constantinople Last Week

By Cyril Hovorun

Last week Ukraine’s Orthodox Church got confirmation that it will likely receive the independence from Moscow that it has long sought. The issue is complex, and the terminology foreign to most readers. The issue of the Ukrainian church is similar to an iceberg. What appears above the surface is political, but the largest part underneath […]

Why the Trump Administration Needs More Balance in the Middle East

By Barbara Slavin

In quitting the Iran nuclear deal and doubling down on traditional US alliances, the Trump administration has forfeited key leverage and reduced its ability to resolve conflicts in the Middle East. Some readjustment in US policy after the Barack Obama administration was expected and potentially useful. Both Israel and Saudi Arabia felt that the US […]

Kyiv Patriarchate Vs. Moscow Patriarchate: David Triumphs Over Goliath

By Margo Gontar

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church will become independent. It’s hard to overestimate the significance of this change; Moscow will no longer have power over it. And that’s exactly what Russia cannot tolerate.

Rapid intensification of hurricanes: A threat that requires resilient responses

By Samuel Jeffrey

A hurricane rapidly intensifying immediately before making landfall poses a unique and urgent threat. Systematically building resilience to account for these conditions—with hours, not days to prepare for a storm—is critical.

With pastor’s release, Erdoğan pulls Turkey back from the brink

By Ross Wilson

What comes next is unclear, though press reports suggest that Brunson’s release reflects a deal with Washington that presumably includes further expectations on both sides.

Turkey frees US pastor, but bumps in relationship remain

By Aaron Stein

The US government has, over the past year, been in talks with its Turkish counterparts about the terms of Brunson’s release. His release will close a strange chapter in US-Turkish diplomatic history. It will not, however, resolve tensions.

United States, intelligence allies expand effort to contain Chinese influence

By David A. Wemer

Amidst the backdrop of growing trade tensions between the United States and China, Washington has begun drawing attention to growing Chinese influence and economic campaigns within Western countries and in regions across the world.

Iranian Crackdown on Corruption May Only Be Superficial

By Holly Dagres

Since the 1979 revolution, Azadi Square has been the beating heart for major demonstrations in Iran’s capital. So when the Iranian judiciary announced on September 24 that “financial corruptors” would be hung in the square—a first—it was seen as a dire warning to corrupt traders and government officials that they would be made an example of for […]

US pastor’s release signals a new chapter in US-Turkey ties

By Ashish Kumar Sen

"There are still pending issues between Turkey and the United States, however—I believe—this news will facilitate the tone on the remaining issues.  It is time to start rebuilding the strategic relationship," said Defne Arslan, director of the Atlantic Council in Turkey Program.

TRADE IN ACTION October 12, 2018

By Global Business & Economics Program