Inflection Points

Inflection Points

A weekly column by Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe, Inflection Points focuses on the global challenges facing the United States and how to best address them.

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Inflection Points

Jan 20, 2026

At Davos, Trump’s 19th-century instincts will collide with 21st-century uncertainty

By Frederick Kempe

The Greenland dispute has turned the World Economic Forum in Davos into the epicenter of transatlantic discord.

Conflict Economy & Business

Inflection Points

Jan 5, 2026

The most significant question for Trump’s America in 2026: What sticks?

By Frederick Kempe

Not every shock becomes a structure, and not every provocation determines an enduring policy change.

Politics & Diplomacy Security & Defense

Inflection Points

Dec 19, 2025

Dispatch from Riyadh: Why Syria is central to the Middle East’s future

By Frederick Kempe

One year after Bashar al-Assad's fall, a visit to Saudi Arabia reveals the opportunities emerging to ensure that Syria doesn’t again fall prey to Iranian adventurism and regional chaos.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Inflection Points

Dec 9, 2025

Dispatch from Doha: A tale of two Trumps (constrained vs. unleashed)

By Frederick Kempe

The Trump administration's recently released National Security Strategy is a stark departure from its predecessor during Trump's first term.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Inflection Points

Nov 20, 2025

Trump and MBS have big ambitions for the Middle East. Bold action must follow.

By Frederick Kempe

Beneath all the deals and agreements that will be announced this week, US and Saudi officials are quietly conjuring plans that could be transformative.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Inflection Points Today

Nov 13, 2025

Legal immigration is a reliable source of US renewal

By Frederick Kempe

If the United States wants to stay competitive, then the country will need more of what has always made America great.

Economy & Business Migration

Inflection Points

Nov 11, 2025

It’s time to reckon with the geopolitics of artificial intelligence

By Frederick Kempe

The world has entered the most consequential tech race since the dawn of the nuclear age, but this time the weapons are algorithms instead of atoms.

Artificial Intelligence China

Inflection Points

Oct 27, 2025

Trump’s place in history depends on his approach to the CRINK

By Frederick Kempe

After a string of foreign policy wins, Trump's more significant challenge lies ahead: countering the bloc of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

China Iran

Inflection Points

Oct 17, 2025

Dispatch from Washington: Is this the calm before the economic storm?

By Frederick Kempe

At the IMF-World Bank annual meetings, cautious optimism about the global economy was tempered by what could come next.

Economy & Business International Financial Institutions

Inflection Points

Oct 10, 2025

Dispatch from Ukraine: The path to a durable peace is emerging

By Frederick Kempe

A recent trip to Kyiv reinforced that, as momentum shifts in Ukraine’s favor, a just and durable peace could be within reach.

Russia Ukraine
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