Europe

AUKUS Sub Deal Could Sink Relations With France, Buoy Nuclear Tech Advances

September 27, 2021

As an exhausted, internally divided America proclaims its return and promises a new era of diplomatic leadership, its global partners are rightfully skeptical. Year one of the Biden era has seen the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, casting doubts about the president’s foreign policy judgment. So long as the disgraced President Donald J. Trump remains the Republicans’ current frontrunner for 2024, the world cannot expect fidelity and competence to emerge from the loyal opposition. For now, at least, it is on President Biden to provide leadership, course-correct away from the lack of reliability, and contain Chinese aggrandizement before its merry band of fellow autocrats from Moscow to Kabul and from Tehran to Pyongyang supplants the US-led world order. Biden’s recent work to transform Australia into an Indo-Pacific bulwark against China, however, has worryingly offended a critical ally — France — and exposed some serious bungling in the U.S. Government.

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Inferno: Mediterranean Fires Highlight The Need For International Solutions

August 10, 2021

Thousands across Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon are fleeing their homes as historic wildfires whip through the region. This is climate change in its manic phase. And it is getting worse.

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German Floods Will Mean Big Things For Europe’s Climate Politics

July 19, 2021

Record-breaking floods have devastated Western Europe, leaving at least 170 people dead and over 1,300 unaccounted for. This catastrophe will have long-lasting implications on European – and global – politics and policies, including an impact on the forthcoming German general elections in September, and the rollout of the EU radical energy policy package that was unveiled on July 14. This includes commitments to be the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050.

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Meeting Putin: Biden's Historic Challenge

June 15, 2021

When Joe Biden confronts the strongman of Russia on June 16th, the global balance of power will be at stake, for the remainder of his presidency and beyond. The responsibility on Biden's shoulders will be tremendous. The forecast? Grim.

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Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy: Biden’s Big Trip To Europe

June 15, 2021

This Newlines Institute Contours podcast presents a deep dive into U.S. President Joe Biden’s inaugural visit to Europe, his administration’s commitment to collective defense, and the fragile trajectory of U.S.-Russian relations ahead of the June 16 Geneva summit between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In this episode, Newlines Institute Senior Analyst and Contours host, Nicholas Heras, sits down with four special guests: Jim Townsend, Jr., an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security’s Transatlantic Security Program and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy; Rachel Rizzo, the Director of Programs at the Truman Center and Truman National Security Project; Dr. Ariel Cohen, a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council and Founding Principal of International Market Analysis, Ltd; and Caroline Rose, a Senior Analyst and Head of Newlines Institute’s Power Vacuums Program.

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Are Vertical Turbines The Future Of Offshore Wind Power?

May 20, 2021

What makes renewable energy so exciting is the immense economic potential of groundbreaking technology advancements.

A recent discovery by engineers of Oxford Brookes University’s School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics could change the design of offshore wind farms forever. The study, led by Professor Iakovos Tzanakis, demonstrates that deep sea and coastal wind turbines could achieve a 15% increase in power output if traditional horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) are replaced by a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) design. While classic HAWT windmills produce energy with a standard three-blade “pinwheel” design, VAWT utilizes a more cylindrical shape with blades rotating around a central shaft.

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To Deter Russia, Hit Them Where It Hurts

April 27, 2021

On Thursday April 15, President Biden imposed long-awaited sanctions on Russia, blaming the Kremlin for the SolarWinds hack that breached U.S. government agencies and American companies. The sanctions are aimed at Russia's disinformation efforts and the occupation of Crimea, along with its recent military buildup and exercises on the Ukraine border. Ten Russian diplomats were expelled as a result.

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Space Lasers: The Truth

March 29, 2021

The idea of space-based laser weapons orbiting the earth has been a part of popular culture and real life government projects for decades, from James Bond’s Goldeneye to Ronald Reagan’s ambitious “Star Wars” program. Recently, the Pentagon began developing a framework to promote the innovation of what it calls Direct Energy Weapons (DEW) designed to weaponize laser systems for use against military targets. The U.S. military more than doubled its spending on DEWs between 2017 and 2019, from $535 million to $1.1 billion. Yet, compared with the massive funding for kinetic missile defense and nuclear modernization, these are minuscule budgets.

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After Impeachment, can America Stand up to its Global Rivals?

February 24, 2021

Beijing and Moscow assiduously followed former president Donald Trump's second impeachment trial for the same reasons they followed the first: the United States is China's and Russia's number one geopolitical rival. What's relevant to America's domestic politics, then, is relevant to its rivals' foreign policy ambitions. To prevent acts of hostility in a time of tumult—virtual and real—the Biden administration will need to reassure allies, shore up American institutions and deter aggression.

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The Global Take | Tik Tok, Belarus, & Navalny

September 25, 2020

In this video series, Dr. Ariel Cohen discusses current events happening around the world. The discussion in this video will focus on possible Tik Tok sanctions, the events in Belarus, & the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Thank you for watching and be sure to subscribe for more updates on currents events happening around the world.

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China holds the cards in US-EU poker

July 15, 2020

Energy’s geopolitical and geo-economic importance means it is always at risk of becoming a pawn in wider strategic conflict. The standoff between Beijing, Washington and much of Europe—complicated by China’s ongoing crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong—is no different

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Moscow Sends Combat Jets, Escalates Involvement In Oil-Rich Libya

May 28, 2020

United States Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM) announced via twitter Wednesday that Russia has sent at least 14 combat jets to Libya, flown by Russian pilots, in an effort to bolster the Kremlin’s Libyan National Army (LNA) allies in the oil-rich nation.

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Oil Prices May Recover Before 2021

April 29, 2020

Developments in the oil market over the past two months have been catastrophic. From the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, the collapse of demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic, historic (but ultimately unsuccessful) OPEC+ cuts, to negative prices, the prospects of a crude market rebound seem dim.

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Oil Plummets Over 300% To Almost -$40 A Barrel In Historic Collapse

April 20, 2020

In a historic collapse, U.S. oil prices plummeted over 300% on Monday as traders unloaded their positions ahead of the May contract expiration Tuesday. Of all the unpredictable economic swings in financial markets that have occurred since the onset of the global pandemic, Monday’s oil wipeout is without a doubt the most jaw-dropping.

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Putin to Coordinate Oil Production with OPEC?

November 18, 2018

Ariel Cohen and Anton Altman

The Heritage Foundation

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced that his country, the world’s leading oil and gas producer, plans to work closely with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the oil cartel.

Russia has long spoken about linking up with OPEC, but at this point the extent of its participation has been sending high-level delegations to attend OPEC meetings in Vienna as observers.

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Ariel Cohen: $100 million will not change Armenia's lagging behind Azerbaijan in terms of arsenal

October 23, 2018

Few days earlier, the Armenian side has approved the deal with Russia on weapons supply to Armenia through a $200 million deal. The Armenian government approved the first $ 100 million loan package, which will be extended to Armenia for 20 years.Some experts viewed it as another provocation by Yerevan ahead of the peace talks, while others argued that the deal hardly gives Armenia more power than those of Azerbaijan.

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Russia's Nord Stream II Pipeline Is Ukraine's Worst Nightmare

October 23, 2018

Ukraine is Russia’s gateway into European gas markets. Of the 193 billion cubic meters (bcm) Russia’s state-owned Gazprom pumped westward in 2017 – nearly 40 percent of Europe’s total supply – 93 bcm transited via Ukraine. Moscow, however, wants to change that, diminishing Ukraine’s transit role. Kyiv, on the other hand, hopes to maintain the current arrangement, as transit revenues contribute some USD 2-3 billion annually.

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LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: THE TRUMP-PUTIN SUMMIT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE

October 23, 2018

What exactly happened in Helsinki? Washington—from Congress to the administration to the media—has been left scratching their heads. Trump’s dealing with Russia is like vaudeville meets a spy thriller—Monty Python meets Tom Clancy.

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As Russia and Iran Strengthen Ties, U.S. Should Support Key Ally Georgia

October 23, 2018

As the US is engaged in pre-election navel-gazing, Russia is not taking a summer nap. The Kremlin never sleeps, and especially not in August, and not during the Olympic season. The Beijing Olympics in 2008 coincided with the Russia-Georgian conflict, and the Ukrainian crisis developed during the Sochi Winter Olympics.

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NATO Should Stand Up Black Sea Command Before It’s Too Late

October 23, 2018

At its summit in Warsaw on July 8 and 9, NATO should take urgent steps to protect its allies and partners on its southeastern flank. Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and Georgia, are all under severe pressure from Russia and require NATO assistance.

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Germany and the US need a new beginning in their security relationship

October 23, 2018

In the snow-covered, fairy-tale city of Munich, global security leaders gathered for their yearly conclave, the Munich Security Conference, the Davos of foreign policy and power.However, instead of Bavarian glory, tension was in the air. This participant repeatedly saw speakers talking past each other, creating an impression that this was not a dialogue about the fate of the world, but an absurdist theater spectacle by Eugene Ionesco.

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TRUMP MUST STAND UP TO PUTIN—BUT HE NEEDS EUROPE'S HELP

October 23, 2018

On July 16, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are to meet in Helsinki, Finland, for what promises to be an historic summit—one likely to define the course of U.S.-Russian relations for many years to come. Following on the heels of the July 12 NATO summit in Brussels, the outcome of these U.S.-Russia talks may affect the unity, and even the survival, of the West.

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Dr. Cohen's Comments on Washington and the Baltics

August 2, 2017

Vesti.lv"Ариэль Коэн: Вашингтон от Прибалтики просто отмахнется"Тимур Пушкавер 08/02/2017 Приход к власти в США Дональда Трампа знаменует кардинальные перемены в американской внешней политике. Основным конкурентом Соединенных Штатов для Трампа является Китай, а не Россия, а Европа не является внешнеполитическим приоритетом нового американского лидера.

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Why the IPO of this Russian company in London could be a big deal

May 25, 2017

CNBC25 May 2017

By Dr. Ariel Cohen

Brexit may not be catastrophic for the London Stock Exchange, despite naysayers' dire prophecies.En+ Group, an integrated hydro power and aluminum producer owned by the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, is mulling an initial public offering in London this summer to raise as much as $2 billion. This would be Russia's biggest public share offering for almost five years and the first Russian IPO in London since 2014.

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Trump’s first 100 days: the foreign policy report card

May 8, 2017

The Huffington Post By Ariel Cohen

May 8, 2017

  • Many in Washington feared Trump would sell out to Russia. That never happened.
  • Sanctions against Russia over Ukraine are in place.
  • Syria was hit with 59 Tomahawk missiles.
  • Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
  • To quote Nikki Haley, “There’s a new sheriff in town.”

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