Category: Blogs

NATO engages: A global NATO

By David Wemer

NATO Engages, a two-day event held on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12, was jointly hosted by the Atlantic Council, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the Munich Security Conference (MSC), and Women in International Security (WIIS).

NATO Deputy Secretary General Praises Trump Leadership on Defense Spending

By David Wemer

After a NATO summit marked by harsh criticism from Donald J. Trump of allies over defense spending, NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller congratulated the US president for his leadership, which she said “has already shown results.” Gottemoeller, speaking at the final session of the NATO Engages event in Brussels co-hosted by the Atlantic Council, […]

Ghani hopeful ‘real’ dialogue will bring peace to Afghanistan

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Ghani, speaking at the NATO Engages event co-hosted by the Atlantic Council, said US President Donald J. Trump told world leaders at the NATO Summit this week that the US strategy of a “conditions-based” commitment to Afghanistan was producing results.

Why Djibouti is the loser of the Horn of Africa’s new peace

By Kelsey Lilley

At the least, this tectonic shift will reduce the revenues available to President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in power since 1999, and undermine his ironclad grip on the country.

Why the Russian Fuss over “Fascist” Salute at World Cup Backfired

By Adrian Karatnycky

“Glory to Ukraine!” saluted Domagoj Vida in a video message last week to his Ukrainian fans following Croatia’s victory over host Russia in the quarter finals of the World Cup. Vida, a Croatian defender who had played for five years with Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv, was pumped up from a heady goal in a dramatic victory […]

Poroshenko Expects Ukraine to be a Priority When Trump Meets Putin

By David Wemer

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko expects Russia’s role in the conflict in his country to be a priority when US President Donald J. Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16. Poroshenko said that meeting, the first summit between Trump and Putin, could go either way, but trusted that “Ukraine would be among […]

TRADE IN ACTION July 12, 2018

By Global Business & Economics Program

Trump’s NATO Strategy: Shake, Rattle, and Commit

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President Donald J. Trump on July 12 reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to NATO after declaring that allies had agreed to his demands to spend more on defense. This affirmation came hours after the US president chastised allies for not spending enough on defense and even threated to pull the United States out of […]

Here’s What NATO Achieved at Its Brussels Summit

By David Wemer

The NATO Summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12 was dominated by dramatic debates over burden sharing and uncertainty about the United States’ continued commitment to the Alliance. Lost in this shuffle, however, are the tangible actions NATO leaders endorsed after their meetings. Here are the highlights based on the NATO communiqué signed on […]

US Senators Back NATO as Trump Leaves Allies On Edge

By Ashish Kumar Sen

In Brussels, where US President Donald J. Trump has castigated allies and cast doubt about the US commitment to NATO, two US senators—one a Republican and the other a Democrat—speaking at the NATO Engages event co-hosted by the Atlantic Council on July 12 expressed their full-throated support for the Alliance. “Congress has your backs,” said […]