In-depth research and reports

Ukrainian Election Task Force—exposing foreign interference in Ukraine’s election

By Ukrainian Election Task Force

Western democracies are under threat from outside meddling, and Ukraine is the testing ground for this interference. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s persistent efforts to influence the domestic politics of his neighbors and countries well beyond Russia’s borders have posed enormous challenges in Europe and across the Atlantic.

A road map of the re-imposed sanctions for Iran

By David Mortlock, Nikki Cronin

President Trump announced on May 8, 2018 that the United States would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and the other P5+1 governments and re-impose nu- clear-related sanctions on Iran.

A road map of the re-imposed sanctions for Iran

By David Mortlock, Nikki M. Cronin

President Trump announced on May 8, 2018 that the United States would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and the other P5+1 governments and re-impose nu- clear-related sanctions on Iran.

US sanctions: Using a coercive and economic tool effectively

In recent years, US economic and financial sanctions have become favored tools of US power, having been deployed to address threats as disparate as human-rights abuses, Iranian nuclear proliferation, Russian aggression, transnational criminal activity, and the deteriorating situation in Venezuela.

US sanctions: Using a coercive and economic tool effectively

By David Mortlock, Brian O’Toole

In recent years, US economic and financial sanctions have become favored tools of US power, having been deployed to address threats as disparate as human-rights abuses, Iranian nuclear proliferation, Russian aggression, transnational criminal activity, and the deteriorating situation in Venezuela. The Barack Obama administration, and the George W. Bush administration before it, used sanctions to […]

The future of development finance

By Aubrey Hruby

Growing anxiety about China’s dominance of emerging markets spurred a rare bipartisan effort to pass the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act of 2018.

How Iran will cope with US sanctions

By Holly Dagres, Barbara Slavin

As a second and more punishing wave of US sanctions hits Iran, the Islamic Republic is dusting off an old playbook for circumventing such penalties and maintaining a crucial level of oil exports and other trade.

How Iran will cope with US sanctions

By Holly Dagres, Barbara Slavin

As a second and more punishing wave of US sanctions hits Iran, the Islamic Republic is dusting off an old playbook for circumventing such penalties and maintaining a crucial level of oil exports and other trade. A new issue brief by Holly Dagres and Barbara Slavin—How Iran Will Cope with US Sanctions—discusses the myriad techniques […]

Europe’s southern gas corridor: The Italian (dis)connection

By John M. Roberts

An update on where things stand in completing a crucial component of the Southern Gas Corridor, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The pipeline—which will bring Shah Deniz gas from Azerbaijan to Greece, Albania, Italy and other Western European markets—is officially scheduled to open in 2020.

The arc of crisis in the MENA region: Fragmentation, decentralization, and Islamist opposition

By Karim Mezran and Arturo Varvelli

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing a time of great transformation and as well as tumult. Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Dr. Karim Mezran and Dr. Arturo Varvelli of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies gathered experts to explore decentralization and political Islam in six MENA countries in “The Arc of […]

Getting creative about development

By Aubrey Hruby

African film, music, and fashion are exploding in popularity on the global stage. From Nigeria’s Nollywood film industry to the visual arts in South Africa, creative and cultural industries (CCI) represent a new realm of economic op­portunity.