In The News

Zelensky-Trump Meet on UN Sidelines: Kyiv Post

Bermét Talant September 26, 2019
Expect global leaders to apply caution in interactions with the United States. Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine since May, spoke with US President Donald Trump by telephone in July, shortly after the president had suspended an aid payment. Details of the call, possibly connected to a whistleblower’s complaint about Trump, have galvanized global attention. Speaker of the House of...

Obsession With Ukraine: New York Times

Kenneth P. Vogel, Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman and Sharon LaFraniere September 26, 2019
US interest in Ukraine focuses on the country’s shared border with Russia, the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea soon after a puppet’s departure in 2014, and interference in the country’s eastern section. US President Donald Trump’s emphasizes other priorities, including improved relations with Russia, according to a non-verbatim transcript of a July telephone call between Trump and...

US Withheld Ukraine Military Aid: Washington Post

Seung Min Kim and Colby Itkowitz September 24, 2019
A political leader can legally use aid money and other policies as leverage in guiding countries on specific behaviors. Use of government money or policies for personal political gain is corruption. Donald Trump confirms that he delayed almost $400 million in aid for Ukraine due to concerns about levels of funding provided by European nations. On July 25, shortly after the aid was delayed, the US...

Cybersecurity Group Suspends Huawei: Wall Street Journal

Anna Isaac September 19, 2019
The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams, or FIRST, has encouraged international cooperation in preventing hacking since the 1990s, reports the Wall Street Journal. “Members share information and intelligence to identify and isolate cyberattacks or vulnerabilities quickly, and disseminate information to protect against their rapid spread,” explains Anna Isaac. “While largely working...

Evidence Points to Iran in Aramco Attack: Reuters

Rania El Gamal and Aziz El Yaakoubi September 16, 2019
A drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco facilities reduced the world’s oil supply by 5 percent, prompted a spike in global oil rises and increased tensions in a volatile part of the world. The United States and Saudi Arabia point fingers at Iran. Iran, already under US sanctions, denies the accusation, and President Hassan Rouhani suggests that the attack is due to the war in Yemen as Yemenis...

Crippling Aramco Attack: Bloomberg

Nayla Razzouk and Javier Blas September 15, 2019
A drone strike on a Saudi Aramco in Abqaiq slashed production by half, representing about 5 percent of the world’s oil supply. The company expects to restore production within days, but other analysts suggest months. Saudi Arabia supplies about 10 percent of the world’s crude oil and suppliers will fill the gap with reserves. OPEC tried to slow production in recent years to lift oil prices. The...

Iran’s Strategy Is Working: Stratfor

Reva Goujon September 13, 2019
After the United States abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – an international agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear weapons program – and reinstated sanctions, Iran remained defiant, this despite economic hardship accompanyng reduced oil exports and high inflation. The United States expresses a willingness to talk, but Iran refuses without some sanctions relief. “Over the past three...