Politics & Diplomacy

Politics & Diplomacy

Healthy democratic societies are governed through the holding of elections, passage of policies through government institutions, and equal application of the law to all citizens. These activities influence not only the internal decisions of these societies, but also inform the ways countries interact with their regional and global neighbors, whether through direct bilateral ties or encompassed in larger international organizations.

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Putin’s obsession with ‘denazifying’ Ukraine makes peace impossible

New Atlanticist Mar 18, 2025

The Gaza cease-fire is over. What’s next from Israel, Hamas, and the US?

By Atlantic Council experts

In the early hours of March 18, Israel launched air strikes on Gaza, ending the two-month cease-fire. Atlantic Council experts answer pressing questions about the resumed conflict.
Conflict Israel
Putin’s obsession with ‘denazifying’ Ukraine makes peace impossible

New Atlanticist Mar 17, 2025

Enough carrots for Putin. For better negotiations, serve ‘maximum pressure’ instead.

By Benjamin L. Schmitt, Richard L. Morningstar, and Daniel Fried

Since Russia appears content for negotiations to move slowly, the Trump administration should turn up the pressure with new sanctions.
Conflict Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion
Putin’s obsession with ‘denazifying’ Ukraine makes peace impossible

Issue Brief Mar 13, 2025

Present without impact? How the Middle East perceives China’s diplomatic engagement

By Jonathan Fulton

Despite economic advancements and high-profile diplomatic engagements, China’s influence remains largely economic rather than political, Jonathan Fulton argues.
China Economy & Business

Content

UkraineAlert

Jun 18, 2026

Putin’s obsession with ‘denazifying’ Ukraine makes peace impossible

By Peter Dickinson

Putin’s obsession with “denazifying” Ukraine makes a mockery of efforts to portray the Russian invasion as a mere land grab and helps explain why there has been no meaningful progress toward peace despite more than a year of US-led efforts, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

Podcast

Jun 18, 2026

“Shoot everybody”: US contractors in San Diego court

By Alia Brahimi

In Season 2, Episode 16 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi is joined by Daniel McLaughlin, an international lawyer and Legal Director of the Centre for Justice and Accountability (CJA), a California-based legal nonprofit working on behalf of victims of torture and other atrocity crimes. Daniel and CJA are leading a civil suit in San Diego against a Delaware-registered PMC, Spear Operations Group, for war crimes in Yemen. They represent the Yemeni parliamentarian Anssaf Ali Mayo, who was one of the targets of an alleged hit-squad in Yemen. Daniel talks us through the facts of the case, how it ended up in a California courtroom ten years later, and which US and international laws were ostensibly broken by the PMC. He also argues forcefully that the US government has a duty to regulate how former members of its military use their training and know-how.

Middle East Rule of Law

In the News

Jun 18, 2026

Charai for The Jerusalem Post: Israel must defend itself without losing America

By Atlantic Council

Israel Middle East

UkraineAlert

Jun 18, 2026

Ukraine begins EU membership talks amid skepticism over associate option

By Andreas Umland

Ukraine officially opened membership talks with the ‌European Union this week in a move hailed by Ukrainian officials as “a Rubicon” moment for the war-torn country. While this is welcome news for Kyiv, it remains unclear how long it could still take to actually join the EU, writes Andreas Umland.

Conflict Drones

Dispatches

Jun 17, 2026

The recent US-Venezuelan strike on Tren de Aragua’s leader will reverberate across Latin America

By Henry Shuldiner

The June 12 operation that killed the leader of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua sets a new precedent for cooperation with the United States.

Financial Crimes & Illicit Trade Latin America

Dispatches

Jun 17, 2026

What the US-Iran deal means for the rest of the Middle East (and beyond)

By Atlantic Council experts

Atlantic Council experts look at the ways the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran will affect other countries.

Conflict Economy & Business

Dispatches

Jun 16, 2026

New AI models are pushing open-source security to its limits. Their developers must step up.

By Sara Ann Brackett

Frontier artificial intelligence labs should contribute in meaningful ways to ongoing efforts to harden open-source software.

Artificial Intelligence Politics & Diplomacy

Dispatches

Jun 16, 2026

A razor-thin victory, a divided nation: What awaits Peru’s next president?

By Atlantic Council experts

As the final votes are counted, Keiko Fujimori is projected to be elected Peru’s next president. What will her presidency mean for the country and region?

Elections Latin America

Issue Brief

Jun 15, 2026

Updating the Democratic Transition Framework to chart a way forward in Venezuela

By Geoff Ramsey

To seize the opportunity for a democratic transition in Venezuela in the wake of Nicolás Maduro's January capture, the United States should update a power-sharing framework proposed in 2020 to serve as a road map for the restoration of Venezuela’s democratic institutions.

Americas Democratic Transitions

In the News

Jun 15, 2026

Charai for the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune: Trump’s Iran Deal: A Strategic Opening

By Atlantic Council

Iran Middle East
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Experts

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Inês Bravo Figueiredo

Co-President, Volt Portugal

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Economy & Business
Graham Brookie

Staff

Graham Brookie

Vice President - Atlantic Council Technology Programs

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Disinformation National Security

Fellow

Colin Brooks

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Iran Middle East

Millennium fellow

Nathan Bruschi

Chief Executive Officer, Anchorwork Inc.

Millennium Leadership Program

Civil Society East Asia

Fellow

Colin Buckley

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Freedom and Prosperity Inclusive Growth

Fellow

Jules Burgo-Küntzmann

Visiting Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Defense Policy English
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Events

Public Event Mon, June 22, 2026 • 11:00 am ET

The Americas together: Confronting shared challenges, building shared prosperity
Americas Latin America Politics & Diplomacy
Online Event Wed, June 24, 2026 • 10:00 am ET

What is driving protests in the Western Balkans from Belgrade to Tirana
Civil Society Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy Resilience & Society
Public Event Wed, June 24, 2026 • 5:00 pm ET

Roberto Viola on the EU’s tech sovereignty agenda and US-EU cooperation
Artificial Intelligence Digital Policy European Union Politics & Diplomacy
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