Americas

As Russian losses mount in Ukraine, Putin seeks more foreign fighters

By Marc Goedemans, Katherine Spencer

With no end in sight to the invasion of Ukraine, Putin is looking to recruit more foreign fighters to counter heavy Russian losses while avoiding a politically risky mobilization, write Marc Goedemans and Katherine Spencer.

With the Strait of Hormuz closed, the Panama Canal is busier than ever. It should use this windfall wisely.

By María Fernanda Bozmoski, Ignacio Albe

Panama must use its revenues smartly by reinvesting in upkeep and in solutions that efficiently use the limited water resources.

For homeland missile defense, think Golden Zones, not a Golden Dome 

By Ankit Panda

While the second Trump administration correctly diagnoses a more dangerous nuclear environment facing the country, a comprehensive defensive system is the wrong prescription. The risks of prompting adversary proliferation and stretching US resources thin are too high.

Golden Dome is the missile defense the US needs

By Henry "Trey" Obering

The United States should pursue a comprehensive missile defense system to protect the homeland from advanced threats posed by China, Russia, and North Korea. Political will from the Trump administration and advances in technology make the idea of the long-discussed "dome" over the United States more feasible now than ever.

Energy Sanctions Dashboard: October 2025

The October 2025 edition of the Energy Sanctions Dashboard analyzed China’s central role in the market for sanctioned oil and the techniques Russia, Iran, and Venezuela use to evade sanctions on oil.

UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash on the Iran war, the Abraham Accords, and Europe-Gulf cooperation

By Frederick Kempe

On the sidelines of the Europe Gulf Forum, Gargash shares his thoughts on the Iran war and its far-reaching consequences.

After the Castro indictment, what is Trump’s endgame in Cuba? 

By Atlantic Council experts

The pressure campaign raises a number of urgent questions. We turned to experts in the Atlantic Council’s network for answers. 

The US needs a comprehensive batteries strategy to ensure its battlefield edge

By Joseph Webster and Kyle Chan

Batteries are becoming increasingly important in defense technologies. To keep an operational edge, the US needs to focus on new supply chains and developing technological advantages.

How Gulf investments are responding to the US-China critical minerals competition

By Chenjie Song and Jonathan Fulton

Gulf sovereign wealth funds are seeking to maximize return on investment while maintaining strategic optionality.

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.