Energy & Environment

The Millennium Challenge Corporation could prove essential in the race for critical minerals. Reform it, don’t shut it down.

By Aubrey Hruby

As the Trump administration aligns foreign aid with core strategic interests, the MCC represents an underutilized asset.

Illicit mineral supply chains fuel the DRC’s M23 insurgency 

By Clarkson Kamurai, Brad Handler, and Morgan Bazilian

The illicit trade of mined materials is fueling the M23 insurgency in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), threatening regional stability and hindering development. As the United States considers a minerals-for-security agreement with the DRC, international engagement, ethical sourcing practices, and strengthened oversight are critical to fostering long-term peace in this resource-rich region.

Gas diplomacy: A blueprint for Middle East peace and global energy security

By Luay al-Khatteeb

A US-Iran deal could serve as a turning point towards a wider strategy encompassing regional de-escalation and energy diplomacy.

Tariffs can help secure US critical mineral supply chains—if they’re done right

By Reed Blakemore, Alexis Harmon

US tariffs on critical minerals should be precisely targeted and coupled with robust federal support for domestic mining.

How the National Energy Dominance Council can set the US on the path to energy security

By Ellen Wald

The National Energy Dominance Council must act quickly to restore stability to the energy industry amid geopolitical uncertainty.

Russia Sanctions Database: November 2024

By Kimberly Donovan, Maia Nikoladze

The Atlantic Council’s Russia Sanctions Database tracks the restrictive economic measures Western allies have placed on Russia and evaluates whether these measures are successful in achieving the stated objectives.

Central Asia’s geography inhibits a US critical minerals partnership

By Haley Nelson and Natalia Storz

Central Asia holds vast critical mineral resources, but limited export capacity and complex environmental, geopolitical, and legal risks make large-scale US investment unfeasible. The US should instead focus its efforts on allied nations with established mineral export industries.

Want to understand the US-China trade war? Start with soybeans and batteries.

As Washington and Beijing hit each other with new tariffs, two goods—soybeans and lithium-ion storage batteries—offer a window into the larger trade war.

Putin’s Arctic ambitions: Russia eyes natural resources and shipping routes

By Bohdan Ustymenko

Russia's plans to expand its influence in the Arctic region and dominate the Northern Sea Route together with China pose serious security challenges for the international community, writes Bohdan Ustymenko.