Content

Issue Brief

Aug 20, 2025

Why the rule of law is the key to prosperity: Lessons from thirty years of data 

By Annie (Yu-Lin) Lee, Joseph Lemoine

Thirty years of global data point to one conclusion: the rule of law is the most important driver of prosperity. Strong legal systems foster trust, investment, and stability. Where laws are predictable and applied equally, societies thrive; where they weaken, reforms falter and prosperity stalls.

Africa
Freedom and Prosperity

UkraineAlert

Aug 12, 2025

Sacrificing Ukraine will only increase the cost of stopping Putin’s Russia

By Pavlo Zhovnirenko

Pressuring Ukraine to accept a Kremlin-friendly settlement may succeed in pausing the current war, but it will not bring peace. On the contrary, it will set the stage for international instability on a far larger scale, writes Pavlo Zhovnirenko.

China
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Aug 5, 2025

Ukraine’s anti-corruption reforms are more vital than ever during wartime

By Olena Halushka

The recent wave of nationwide protests in defense of the country’s anti-corruption reforms served as a timely reminder that Ukraine’s democratic instincts remain strong, even amid the horrors of Russia’s invasion and the escalating bombardment of Ukrainian cities, writes Olena Halushka.

Civil Society
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 24, 2025

Wartime protests prove Ukraine’s democratic instincts are still strong

By Peter Dickinson

This week’s nationwide protests are a reminder that Ukraine’s grassroots democratic instincts remain exceptionally strong despite the current wartime conditions in the country, writes Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society
Conflict

MENASource

Jul 24, 2025

In a sectarian Syria, the winners should refrain from taking all

By Marie Forestier 

To avoid the complete supremacy of HTS-supporting Sunnis, it is crucial to adopt power-sharing mechanisms ensuring inclusiveness

Democratic Transitions
International Norms

UkraineAlert

Jul 22, 2025

Ukraine rocked by first wartime protests amid attacks on anti-corruption agencies

By Andrew D’Anieri

For more than a decade, Ukrainians have been fighting a two-front war: against Russian aggression and against high-level political corruption. So it's puzzling to see Kyiv move to gut independent anti-corruption agencies, writes Andrew D'Anieri.

Civil Society
Corruption

MENASource

Jul 22, 2025

Why the violence in my hometown, Swaida, goes beyond ‘rivalry.’

By Majd AlGhatrif

US officials described the events as “a rivalry” between Syria's Druze and Bedouins. But this framing strips the crisis of its historical and political context.

Civil Society
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jul 21, 2025

Wartime Ukraine must translate international attention into investment

By Viktor Liakh, Anna Derevyanko

The 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference showed that the country has the political backing and business potential to emerge stronger than ever, but this potential is not enough. The time for action and investment is now, write Viktor Liakh and Anna Derevyanko.

Conflict
Corruption

Report

Jul 14, 2025

The next generation: Russia’s future rulers

By Mikhail Zygar

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series explores the rising generation in the Kremlin-connected elite and what this shift means for Russia’s future.

Corruption
Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Jul 9, 2025

Five questions (and expert answers) about the ICC arrest warrants against Taliban leaders for crimes against women and girls 

By Atlantic Council experts

Our international law experts unpack the implications of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against the Taliban’s supreme leader and chief justice.

Afghanistan
Human Rights
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Experts

Staff

Isabella Palacios

Program Assistant

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Americas Central America

Millennium fellow

Fatima Abbas

Director of Tribal and Native Affairs, Department of Treasury

Millennium Leadership Program

Politics & Diplomacy Rule of Law

Fellow

Beth Van Schaack

Distinguished Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Human Rights International Norms

Fellow

Dan Minnocci

Senior US Air Force Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Europe & Eurasia Middle East

Executive Leadership Intensive participant

Omer Niazi

President and Founder, Council on International Law Order and Security (CILOS)

Middle East Rule of Law

Executive Leadership Intensive participant

Reimen Hii

Barrister / Vice-President, Bar Association of Queensland / Australian Institute of International Affairs

Millennium Leadership Program

Australia Indo-Pacific
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