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Dispatches

May 15, 2026

Where’s the beef? Trump’s underwhelming meeting with Xi.

By Melanie Hart

Trump appears to have sidestepped the biggest trap—Beijing’s attempt to box Washington in on Taiwan—but underperformed on everything else.

China Economy & Business

Dispatches

May 15, 2026

Don’t fall for the middle-power mirage

By Imran Bayoumi

The kind of multilateralism that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke about in Davos remains an aspiration rather than an achievable reality.

China Politics & Diplomacy

Fast Thinking

May 15, 2026

What did Trump and Xi accomplish?

By Atlantic Council

On Friday, the US president concluded talks with his counterpart from China, soaring away in Air Force One after two days of meetings and ceremonies. Our experts shed light on the outcomes.

China Security & Defense

Global Energy Agenda

May 14, 2026

US global leadership depends on a reliable, modern energy system

By Heather Zichal

US global leadership relies on resilient, diversified energy systems—and the policy and investment foresight required to sustain this foundation.

Energy & Environment Renewables & Advanced Energy

UkraineAlert

May 14, 2026

Putin’s parade projected weakness but he is now more dangerous than ever

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

While the Kremlin dictator is clearly in a weakened position, a diminished Vladimir Putin could be more dangerous than ever, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Drones

MENASource

May 14, 2026

Five ways the Iran war will forever alter the Middle East

By Amir Asmar

Expect the war to weaken the Iranian regime, keep the US in the Middle East, harm Israel's standing in the region, and more.

Conflict Iran

Atlantic Council Strategy Paper Series

May 13, 2026

A US and allied strategy for Greenland

By the Atlantic Council Task Force on Greenland

After US rhetoric about taking control of Greenland exacerbated tensions between Washington and European allies in January, the US, Greenland, and Denmark opened discussions about the US presence in the autonomous territory. In parallel, the Atlantic Council's Task Force on Greenland brought together transatlantic expertise to explore the underlying issues and find a productive path forward.

Greenland Northern Europe

Inflection Points Today

May 13, 2026

The myth of US-China stability

By Frederick Kempe

Washington and Beijing do not trust each other. But expect Trump and Xi to remain on message this week, saying friendly things about each other.

China Politics & Diplomacy

Issue Brief

May 13, 2026

The US AI health data collision: Charting the future of US cross-border data flow policy, health data, and health and biopharma AI policy 

By Justin Sherman

The race to control America's most sensitive data is already underway, and most people have no idea.

Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity

Global Energy Agenda

May 12, 2026

The missing link in the US energy advantage: Connecting supply to demand

By Mike Sommers

The US has the energy supplies to help meet rising demand—its challenge is building the infrastructure to connect one to the other. Permitting reform could change this.

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

Experts