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

Jun 24, 2025

Dispatch from The Hague: How Trump can build on his Middle East success with NATO

By Frederick Kempe

As the Alliance summit begins, the US president can already justifiably trumpet three major achievements in the Middle East. Will he add one more in Europe?

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

Inflection Points

Jun 14, 2025

Israel’s Iran strike provides a historic chance for Middle East realignment

By Frederick Kempe

History will remember this moment less for the Israeli strikes themselves and more for what follows.

Iran Israel

Inflection Points Today

Jun 8, 2025

A German leader’s D-Day lesson for Trump 

By Frederick Kempe

In the Oval Office, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a message that no American should ignore.

Conflict Germany

Inflection Points

Jun 5, 2025

Ukraine just gave us a glimpse into the future of European defense

By Frederick Kempe

European allies need both military capabilities and technological innovation to deter Russia, as Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on Russian air bases underscore.

Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy

Inflection Points

May 28, 2025

Dispatch from Dayton: What Trump can learn about ending war

By Frederick Kempe

A recent visit of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to Ohio—thirty years after the Dayton Accords ended the Bosnian War—raised important questions about what lessons can be applied to ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Inflection Points Today

May 17, 2025

A remarkable week for a rising Turkey

By Frederick Kempe

Turkey has gained relevance as an indispensable player from the Black Sea to the Levant, and from Central Asia to Europe.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Inflection Points

May 15, 2025

Trump can cement his Middle East successes by calling Putin’s bluff

By Frederick Kempe

After lifting Syria sanctions and semiconductor restrictions, Trump has a historic opportunity when it comes to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Artificial Intelligence Conflict

Inflection Points Today

May 13, 2025

Trump’s remarkable Middle East tour is all about striking megadeals and outfoxing China

By Frederick Kempe

The Trump administration would rather swim in a stream of Gulf investments than get bogged down in the region’s enduring problems.

Artificial Intelligence Economy & Business

Inflection Points

May 8, 2025

The lesson of VE Day 80 years later: Discard the ‘false choice’ between US values and interests

By Frederick Kempe

This epoch has shown the United States at its best. Yet clinging to the status quo isn’t a policy designed for the future.

Freedom and Prosperity International Norms

Inflection Points Today

Apr 24, 2025

In defense of ‘boring’: A European leader’s message to Trump

By Frederick Kempe

EU Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis spoke at the Atlantic Council in Washington on April 23, making the case for greater predictability.

European Union International Financial Institutions
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