Content

Dispatches

Oct 22, 2026

What the new arrest warrant for Raúl Castro means for Cuba’s future

By Jason Marczak and Sebastián A. Arcos

Washington’s latest pressure on the Cuban regime comes as Cuba’s economic and humanitarian crisis spirals from bad to worse.

Cuba Human Rights

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2026

Ukrainians are not fighting for Zelenskyy. They are fighting for national survival.

By Peter Dickinson

Trump and Putin both seem to think that removing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would set the stage for a Kremlin-friendly peace deal, but most Ukrainians see the war as a fight for national survival that does not depend on any one man, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Education

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2026

Moldova’s fight against Kremlin interference faces Gagauzia election test

By Laurențiu Pleșca, Will Kingston-Cox

Moldova’s democratic resilience faces a revealing litmus test on November 15, when autonomous Gagauzia elects a new governor and People’s Assembly amid concerns over Kremlin interference, write Laurențiu Pleșca and Will Kingston-Cox.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 21, 2026

Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians may have a domestic dimension

By Syrus Solo Jin, Anton Ponomarenko

Russia's escalating bombing campaign against civilian targets across Ukraine aims to make much of the country unlivable while also serving a propaganda purpose for the Kremlin on the home front, write Syrus Solo Jin and Anton Ponomarenko.

Conflict Disinformation

Report

Oct 15, 2026

How Syria can avoid the trap of ethno-sectarianism

By Marie Forestier, Arthur Quesnay

In postwar Iraq and Lebanon, power-sharing agreements allocated top government jobs based on ethnic and religious affiliation. Political deadlock and violence followed. As Syrians rebuild after decades of dictatorship and war, they should avoid making the same mistake.

Civil Society Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 13, 2026

Putin snubs Trump’s ceasefire as Russia aims to make Ukraine unlivable

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Hours after US President Donald Trump’s surprise Sunday announcement of an energy ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, Russia responded by bombing a series of Ukrainian power plants, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Oct 8, 2026

Starving Ukrainians must travel ‘road of death’ to flee Russian occupation

By Oleksandr Tolokonnikov

A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine as the Kremlin authorities refuse to allow the evacuation of starving Ukrainian civilians trapped in front line city Oleshky, writes Oleksandr Tolokonnikov.

Conflict Drones

Russia Tomorrow

Oct 7, 2026

The deterrence gap: How can NATO protect its front line from Russia? 

By Agnia Grigas

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series assesses Russia’s threats to NATO’s eastern flank and evaluates the responses of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania.

Crisis Management Cybersecurity

Dispatches

Oct 7, 2026

South Asian governments should look east for opportunities for young workers

By Imran Shauket

As Japan, South Korea, and increasingly Thailand slide toward super-aged societies, Pakistan and Bangladesh have something they need: young people.

Resilience & Society South Asia

Dispatches

Oct 6, 2026

Five things to know about the death at Russia’s anti-plague laboratory

By John T. O’Brien and Isobel Sowells

In light of Russia’s record on biological weapons and lab accidents, the death of an anti-plague researcher raises questions to consider.

Non-Traditional Threats Resilience & Society

Experts