The Global Eye : Atlantic Council

European leaders will gather in June to discuss whether to extend sanctions against Russia over the Kremlin’s hybrid war in Ukraine. The current sanctions regime will likely remain in place, but the mere fact the subject is up for debate is evidence of Europe’s alarming refusal to acknowledge the new security reality facing the continent. Many inside the EU seem unwilling to admit the twenty-five year honeymoon period of European peace and prosperity since 1991 is over. They cling to the idea of a return to the old ‘business as usual’ status quo, and appear to believe Russian aggression is only an issue for Moscow’s immediate neighbors. This policy of obstinate denial is not only morally bankrupt—it also encourages the Kremlin to escalate a hybrid war campaign designed to reverse the results of the Cold War and break up the European Union itself

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/europe-still-in-denial-as-russia-ushers-in-the-age-of-hybrid-hostilities

State Secretaries on Supply and Demand (Atlantic Council)

Last week the Atlantic Council hosted senior defense-industrial officials from Germany and Turkey for discussions about their evolving plans. Taking the time to reread their biographies, we remembered that some of NATO’s member states are clearly finding accomplished people to run military materiel management. But while the backgrounds of these two officials are similarly impressive, their approaches to industrial strategy are very different

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/defense-industrialist/state-secretaries-on-supply-and-demand

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

#5YearsWeFled: The Kindness of Strangers (Atlantic Council)

This series is from interviews with the lawyer Ayman Jalwan. It highlights the difficult choice that Syrians face—dying in the war zone that Syria had become, or flee the land he loved. Last year, he and his wife said goodbye to their families and joined the wave of citizens leaving the country. First they had to make it to Turkey. Then they needed to cross the cold Mediterranean to Greece. After that, they would have to deal with human traffickers in Eastern Europe to reach one of the few nations willing to welcome them: Germany. In this blogs series, Ayman Jalwan explains the decision to leave, the trials he and his wife encountered along the way, and the consequences of their decision.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/syriasource/5yearswefled-the-kindness-of-strangers

In Odesa, Protesters Demand that Poroshenko Restore Honest Prosecutor (Atlantic Council)

Several hundred protesters have camped out in front of the regional prosecutor’s office in Odesa for the past two weeks demanding that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko reinstate reformist Deputy Prosecutor General Davit Sakvarelidze, who also concurrently held the post of regional prosecutor of Odesa. Sakvarelidze’s replacement, Nikolai Stoyanov, has held the position twice before, including a stint from 2012 to 2014, at the height of the Yanukovych government’s alleged corrupt schemes here. Stoyanov is loathed by anticorruption activists.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/in-odesa-protesters-demand-that-poroshenko-restore-honest-prosecutor

Navy Espionage for an A2AD Age (Atlantic Council)

News trickled out this weekend about a US Navy Officer charged with espionage who may have jeopardized significant intelligence collection capabilities and sensitive operations because of the access he had to patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/navy-espionage-for-an-a2ad-age

Parliament Considers Bill that May Derail Ukraine’s Visa-Free Travel Again (Atlantic Council)

While the chattering classes in Kyiv remain riveted by the startling revelations from the Panama Papers and the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Kyiv’s activists are fighting to prevent the Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, from passing a draft asset forfeiture law that could derail Ukraine’s ability to obtain visa-free travel in the European Union. Draft law 4057 ostensibly targets the ill-gotten gains of corrupt actors from the former regime of Viktor Yanukovych, but it can also be used against any Ukrainian citizen. It contradicts European standards, violates private property rights, and will promote corruption.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/parliament-considers-bill-that-may-derail-ukraine-s-visa-free-travel-again

Finding Alternative Routes to Europe (Atlantic Council)

Following the plan by the EU and Turkey to turn back refugees, many are looking for alternative ways to reach Europe. Syria Deeply explores a new path to the continent that starts on the other side of the Atlantic – in South America

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/syriasource/finding-alternative-routes-to-europe

Prime Minister Yatsenyuk Resigns. Why Now? What’s Next? (Atlantic Council)

On April 10, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk submitted his resignation, and on April 12 parliament is expected to approve Speaker of Parliament Volodymyr Groisman as prime minister. It is, of course, good that Ukraine’s two-month long government crisis is being resolved, but it is not evident that the new government will be able to unlock the Western financial assistance that has been delayed because of political uncertainty. President Petro Poroshenko is about to take full control of the government, but he is also narrowing his power base.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/prime-minister-yatsenyuk-resigns-why-now-what-s-next

Innovation, Leadership, and National Security (Atlantic Council)

Innovation will be a crucial requirement for US leadership and national security in the twenty-first century. The United States faces an era of global competition across all elements of national power. In the economic arena, American domination has necessarily been comparatively receding as the world continues to develop. Militarily, challenges have expanded geographically and qualitatively as multi-polarity and diffusion of power increases the number of capable state and nonstate actors. Diplomacy has become more complex as information capabilities are available throughout the world, populaces are more engaged, and there are strong ideological challenges to the Western, liberal rules-based model. The United States is still the most powerful nation, but maintaining successful leadership and strong national security will require the United States to build on and enhance its existing strengths. A crucial element of that requirement will be the capacity to innovate regularly and effectively. Innovation will be a prerequisite to leadership across all elements of national power.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/publications/reports/innovation-leadership-and-national-security

IMF, World Bank Spring Meetings: Five Issues to Watch (and Five Questions to Ask) (Atlantic Council)

Finance Ministers and central bankers will gather in Washington from April 15-17 for the spring meetings of the Bretton Woods Institutions: the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It will be an important opportunity to check in on the global economy. Here are five key topics to pay attention to during the meetings.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/imf-world-bank-spring-meetings-five-issues-to-watch-and-five-questions-to-ask

Thursday, 31 March 2016

(TOPICS - The Global Eye) Smart Homes and the Internet of Things (Atlantic Council)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the next step in the evolution of wireless networks. Analysts predict the IoT will double in size to nearly 50 billion devices by 2020, comprising a $1.7 trillion market. One of the greatest opportunities still lies ahead in the form of the “smart home.”

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/publications/reports/smart-homes-and-the-internet-of-things

Wednesday, 20 July 2016

European Commission to the United Kingdom: Begin Exit Negotiations Swiftly (Mitch Hulse, Atlantic Council)

How to Avoid Becoming Ukraine’s Most Unpopular Politician (Mykhailo Kukhar, Alexei Sobchenko, Atlantic Council)

Three Questions About the African Union Mission in South Sudan (Kelsey Lilley, Atlantic Council)

Estonia Needs NATO’s Help Against Russia (Marina Kaljurand, Atlantic Council)

Why Not Mobile ICBMs? (James Hasik, Atlantic Council)

Terror in Nice: Another Challenge to Transatlantic Leadership (Jan M. Lodal, Atlantic Council)

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Europe Still in Denial as Russia Ushers in the Age of Hybrid Hostilities (Peter Dickinson, Atlantic Council)