Atlantic Council

As the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel approaches, policymakers should focus on more realistic energy risks in the region rather than on a worst-case but unlikely scenario, writes Ellen R. Wald, Ph.D. Read more. ??

In the final four months of his presidency, President Joe Biden is in danger of throwing away his shot at a lasting, positive foreign policy legacy because of excessive caution regarding Ukraine, writes Frederick Kempe in #InflectionPoints. Read more. ??

Join the Atlantic Council and the N7 Initiative on September 18 for a conversation with Senator Joni Ernst on her upcoming legislation supporting the Abraham Accords, including the LINK Act and the AI Accords. Moderated by Vice Admiral (Ret.) John W. “Fozzie” Miller. Register below. ??

NEW UPDATE | The Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center has updated its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Tracker. The project now tracks 134 countries exploring CBDCs, representing 98% of the global GDP. Here are the key takeaways from our research: ?? Every G20 country is now exploring a CBDC. 19 of them are now in the advanced stage of CBDC exploration (launch, pilot, and development). Of those, 13 countries are already in the pilot stage. ?? 3 countries have fully launched a CBDC—the Bahamas, Jamaica and Nigeria. In Nigeria and the Bahamas, CBDC issuance has increased substantially. All three countries are focused on expanding the reach of their retail CBDCs domestically. ?? China’s digital yuan (e-CNY) is still the largest CBDC pilot in the world. In June 2024, e-CNY transactions reached 7 trillion yuan ($986 billion) in 17 provinces. This figure is nearly four times the data recorded in 2023. ?? There is a new high of 44 ongoing CBDC pilots, including the digital euro. European countries—both in the euro area and beyond—are increasingly testing wholesale CBDCs domestically and across borders. ?? The US is now participating in a cross-border wholesale CBDC project, Project Agorá, along with six other major central banks. However, the US is still behind its G7 peers, who are moving forward with building CBDC prototypes. Josh Lipsky, Ananya Kumar, Alisha Chhangani Explore the tracker. ??

Viewing the Kursk incursion through the lens of the Gettysburg campaign of the US Civil War offers a relevant framework for interpreting Ukraine’s motivations, possible outcomes, and strategic objectives, writes Gregg Curley. Read more. ??

"Extreme heat is a public health crisis. But many people underestimate just how much it impacts our mental health," says our associate director Kathleen Euler. Rising effects have a clear impact on people’s mental health. Hospital admissions spike up to 40% on hot days for people with mood disorders. And some medications can increase the risk of heat-related illness, putting even more people at risk. Read our new article to learn how heat affects mental health—and what policymakers can do about it. ?? https://bit.ly/3MfAEM4

Join the Atlantic Council and the N7 Initiative on September 18 for a fireside chat featuring Senator Joni Ernst to discuss the LINK Act and AI Accords between the United States and its partners in the Middle East. Register below. ??

“Policymakers in Washington and in Brussels should begin discussions on the contours of a comprehensive, three-pillar US-EU economic agreement now, so that both sides can hit the ground running in early 2025,” write L. Daniel Mullaney and Bruce Stokes. Read more. ??

The landmark trilateral security partnership has come a long way, but current reform efforts will only reach their potential if additional regulatory adjustments are made, writes R. Clarke Cooper on the third anniversary of AUKUS. Read more. ??

Writing for The Hill, Tom Warrick analyzes the stark differences between the proposed border and immigration policies of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.