Timely commentary and analysis

Prioritizing response and recovery for US persons wrongfully detained abroad

By Britt Gronemeyer and Alana Mitias

On February 15, the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Litigation Project held a discussion about the United States’ approach to cases of wrongful detentions abroad, how strategies can be improved, and ways to better support the families of those detained.

The energy and climate challenge: How Europe can achieve decarbonization

By Transform Europe Initiative

The Atlantic Council proudly co-hosted with the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) “A Grand Bargain for Europe’s energy and climate challenge,” a workshop on the European Union’s energy and climate policy from a geopolitical perspective.

Harmonizing hydrogen ambitions and realities

By William Tobin, Joseph Webster

Hydrogen’s chemical properties determine its most optimal uses. Policymakers should orient deployment toward areas in which hydrogen makes the most sense as a tool for decarbonization and away from areas in which it does not.

Clean industrial policies: A space for EU-US collaboration

By Théophile Pouget-Abadie, Francis Shin, Jonah Allen

EU-US tensions over clean industrial policy could derail the energy transition. Collaboration on equal footing would bolster collective security and drive emissions reductions to new levels.

With Pakistan’s economy in freefall, Chinese economic and military influence is likely to grow in the country

By Uzair Younus

This essay explores the potential impact of the ongoing crises on the China-Pakistan relationship and its implications for US-Pakistan bilateral relations, especially in the context of the growing strategic competition between the United States and China.

Expanding the Abraham Accords: Testimony of Daniel B. Shapiro to the US House

By Daniel B. Shapiro

Normalization between Israel and its Arab neighbors has come a long way since the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020. But what comes next?

Sub-Saharan green hydrogen as a catalyst for development

By Daniel Helmeci

Green hydrogen has the potential to turn sub-Saharan Africa’s abundant renewable resources into fuel for a sustainable economy. If supporting infrastructure can be built to harness this potential, the entire region could see the benefits.

WIn Fellowship Roadshow summary: a promising start for the inaugural fellows

By Amira Attia and Lynn Monzer

A recap of the 2023 WIn Fellowship Roadshow

Chinese refining markets 101—and their implications for price caps on Russian oil

By Joseph Webster

Price caps on Russian crude and oil products have placed Chinese refineries in the spotlight. Their historical tendencies and political connections could shed light on what to expect from them as the oil market reorients itself.

Beauty and the beast: Implications of the US-China tech war on climate and energy

By Jennifer Lee

US-China tech tensions could have ripple effects on decarbonization efforts. Tech competition could provide benefits, but if left unmitigated, it could also hinder both countries’ energy transitions.

Amid Pakistan’s political and economic turmoil, risks to curbs on digital freedoms grow

By Uzair Younus

Growing polarization and instability in Pakistan have increased the likelihood that as elections draw near, curbs on speech, largely limited thus far to television channels, may extend to internet platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Recap: Alliance for Green Cities launch event

By Global Energy Center

The new Alliance for Green Cities is focused on enhancing climate action at the municipal level. It encourages cities to play an active role in promoting a clean energy transition.

The fourth inflection point: Testimony of Frederick Kempe to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

By Frederick Kempe

This moment is as crucial as the periods after World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, when US leadership alongside allies and partners—or the failure of US leadership—will have global and generational consequences.

A conversation with Fuad Hussein, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Iraq

By Mahnaz Vahdati

On February 15, 2023, the Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative hosted His Excellency Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Iraq, for a conversation with Abbas Kadhim, Director of the Iraq Initiative within the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs.

There is no democracy without civil society

By Karim Mezran and Elham Saudi

Twelve years after the Libyan uprising, we are at a crucial point on Libya’s road to democracy. Now more than ever, it is important that civil society is at the heart of the approaching electoral process and future governance.

Ten minutes at the border: Revving the US and Mexican economies

Atlantic Council research shows that a mere 10-minute reduction in wait times at the US-Mexico border can have increasingly positive effects on communities and economies on both sides of the border.

Lula is back. Are Brazil’s climate credentials?

By Lizi Bowen, Maia Sparkman, William Tobin

Lula’s return to office in Brazil heralded a renewed commitment to environmental stewardship. But steps must be taken to ensure that renewal becomes as concrete and effective as possible.

Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo on Italy’s role in unifying Europe and ‘selective decoupling’ from China

Profumo joins the Atlantic Council to share his perspective on the implications of Russia’s war in Ukraine for Europe, Italy, and the continent’s defense sector, how Leonardo has responded to the ongoing invasion, and its most recent expansion within the space sector.

The 5×5—Strengthening the cyber workforce

By Simon Handler

Experts provide insights into ways for the United States and its allies to bolster their cyber workforces.