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UkraineAlert

Mar 23, 2018

Ukraine Is Serious about Privatization This Time

By Oksana Bedratenko

Since 2014, privatization in Ukraine has made little progress. Well-connected oligarchs could no longer dominate the privatization process, as had often been the case in the past because of strengthened public scrutiny and involvement of international donors, yet vested interests were still powerful enough to block privatizations and the lingering problems associated with the country’s […]

Ukraine

Trade in Action

Mar 23, 2018

TRADE IN ACTION March 22, 2018

By Global Business & Economics Program

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

SyriaSource

Mar 23, 2018

Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch Threatens to Worsen Arab-Kurdish Relations

By Sardar Mlla Drwish

Turkey and Syrian opposition factions took control of Afrin and its countryside after a two-month assault that caused high civilian casualties and the displacement of tens of thousands. In light of an emerging Kurdish-Arab conflict in Syria, some see a Russian-Turkish deal on Afrin and Ghouta as a dangerous indicator at a critical stage in […]

Syria
JohnBoltonFeature

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2018

On the Issues: Bolton vs. McMaster

By Ashish Kumar Sen and Rachel Ansley

US President Donald J. Trump announced on March 22 that John R. Bolton will take over as the next US national security advisor on April 9. Here’s a look at some of Bolton’s positions on key foreign policy issues over the years, contrasted with those of his predecessor, LTG H.R. Mcmaster.

New Atlanticist

Mar 22, 2018

McMaster Out. Bolton In.

By Ashish Kumar Sen

John R. Bolton, a former US ambassador to the United Nations known for his hawkish foreign policy views, will replace LTG H.R. McMaster as US President Donald J. Trump’s new National Security Advisor. Trump made the personnel announcement in a tweet on the evening of March 22. The decision to replace McMaster comes nine days […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 22, 2018

Shots Fired In A Trade War?

By Marie Kasperek

A global trade war is not out of the question anymore. US President Donald J. Trump has set the first domino in motion, and it will be hard to stop. Specifically, Trump has in March alone imposed two tariffs—one targeting Chinese imports and the other the steel and aluminum imports. The latter go into effect […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 22, 2018

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Says Salisbury Attack Proves Putin Has ‘No Red Lines’

By Teri Schultz

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin came to Brussels this week to meet European Union (EU) foreign ministers. He had a dual mission. Klimkin made his usual appeal to his European counterparts for more help for Ukraine, but also asked them to do more to protect themselves from a Kremlin he says has no limits after […]

Russia Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Mar 22, 2018

Brexit Talks Sadly Lack Vision

By Reginald Dale

The British government and the European Union (EU) are celebrating the latest “milestone” in negotiations to end Britain’s EU membership—agreement on a transition period of twenty-one months after the United Kingdom leaves the EU in just over a year’s time. EU leaders endorsed the agreement at a European Council meeting in Brussels on March 23. […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Mar 22, 2018

Sarkozy’s Gadhafi Connection

By Karim Mezran

Former French president faces probe over campaign funds Commentators and analysts have long wondered about the speed with which France acted to support rebels that rose up against Moammar Gadhafi, Libya’s longtime leader, in the spring of 2011. The official narrative sees Henry Bernard-Levy, the French philosopher and opinion maker, as playing a pivotal role […]

Libya

EnergySource

Mar 22, 2018

US pressure is pushing Iran closer to Russia and China

By Mahsa Rouhi

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) promised economic recovery for Iran in the form of sanctions relief, and many expected it would boost the country’s prosperity and general economic outlook. However, despite the initial optimism and some positive trends following the implementation of JCPOA, broad economic improvements have not materialized. The challenges are both internal […]

China Energy Markets & Governance