Politics & Diplomacy

Ukraine: What to Expect in 2018

By Ruslan Minich

One should not have wild expectations for Ukraine this year. Although the country is more than a year away from the March 2019 presidential election, structural reforms won’t be a focus, international donors are getting impatient, and a large amount of debt is coming due.   What should we expect and follow in Ukraine this […]

Iraq’s Dawa Party and electioneering: Division and survival

By Harith Hasan

Following the 2005 election of Iraq’s National Assembly, the winning Shia Islamist coalition selected Ibrahim al-Jaafari, then a senior leader in the Dawa party, for the position of Prime Minister in the transitional government. Dawa is the oldest Shia Islamist party, but not the largest. Competing groups within the Shia alliance selected a member in […]

In 2018, Macron’s Biggest Challenge Lies at Home

By Nicholas Dungan

France is off to a beautiful start to 2018—a year that could be a rosy one. At the end of 2017, the Economist designated France its “country of the year” following Emmanuel Macron’s election as president in May and the sweeping victory of his new political movement, La République en Marche! in parliamentary elections in […]

Tillerson’s Takes on US Foreign Policy: A Year in Review

Diplomatic negotiations with “no preconditions” will be the US approach to solving the problem of North Korea, while working in concert with friends and allies, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at the Atlantic Council on December 12. “We’re ready to talk any time North Korea would like to talk,” said Tillerson, “and we’re […]

Whither America

By John Raidt

The United States faces threats from outside its borders, but also from within. The political system that once created a strong, prosperous, and united nation now sows division. This report, written by John Raidt, unpacks how the fuel—money—drives the cartel’s machinations as it interacts with and exploits amplifying forces—legal, structural, media, technological, and social.

Africa’s political fault-lines: As Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis trends toward intensifying rhetoric and violence, how long can the movement last?

By Alexandra Fairbend

Cameroon’s crisis, which pits a marginalized group of English-speakers against the Francophone majority, has taken a dangerous turn. The conflict has its roots in the colonial era, when British and French territories were awkwardly combined to form modern-day Cameroon. Anglophones have wanted autonomy for decades, but in the past year, they have mounted a full-throated […]

Hacking the Election: Lessons from the DEF CON Voting Village

By Priscilla Kim

On October 10th, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative and DEF CON hosted a public event on the vulnerabilities in US voting infrastructure and recommendations for a path forward in securing our democracy. Panelists included Ambassador Douglas Lute, former US permanent representative to NATO; Jeff Moss, founder of DEF CON and senior fellow for the […]

Balkan Officials Have a Message for the EU and the United States: Stay Engaged

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Balkan officials on November 29 made a pitch for deeper US and European Union (EU) engagement with the region, noting that its stability is critical for a peaceful Europe. “Without a stable Balkans, there is no stable Europe,” said Srdjan Darmanović, Montenegro’s foreign minister. Albania’s foreign minister, Ditmir Bushati, highlighted US Secretary of State Rex […]

Forging a new era in US-South African relations

By Africa Center

On Tuesday, November 29, the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council launched its newest report, Forging a New Era in US-South African Relations. Atlantic Council Vice President and Africa Center Director Dr. J. Peter Pham welcomed guests and underscored the need for a renewed US-South Africa relationship, which he said has taken on a lower […]