Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: Early April
Early April Trends
Brussels
Erdogan Government Moves to Criminalize and Shutter Turkey’s Pro-Kurdish Party
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling bloc stripped a pro-Kurdish lawmaker of his parliamentary seat on Wednesday and initiated a legal process to shutter Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition party....
Policy Briefs
Biden Must Do More to Deter Russian Aggression and Uphold Global Norms
The United States on Tuesday joined its European allies in imposing sanctions in response to Moscow’s August 2020 chemical weapons (CW) attack against, and subsequent imprisonment of, Russian opposition...
Insights
Armenia’s nuclear power plant is dangerous. Time to close it.
In late 2020, the Armenian government announced that its Metsamor nuclear power plant would close for five months in 2021 to attempt significant upgrades. Soon after, the EU urged Armenia to make the closure...
Op-eds
CAATSA Sanctions Should Be Just First Step if Erdogan Does Not Change Course
The United States imposed sanctions on Monday on NATO ally Turkey for its purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia. These long-overdue sanctions not only impose necessary costs on the government...
Policy Briefs
Biden and Erdogan: Five Potential Flashpoints in US-Turkish Relations
After being protected by Donald Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could soon face US sanctions and political pushback from Joe Biden’s administration that would sour Ankara-Washington relations.
Op-eds
New EU Sanctions on Russia a Good First Step, But Further Action Needed
The European Union unveiled targeted sanctions on Thursday in response to the August 20 use of a chemical weapon to poison leading Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. The sanctions represent a positive first...
Policy Briefs
‘Blue Homeland’ And The Irredentist Future Of Turkish Foreign Policy
Turkey and Greece, two NATO allies, nearly experienced a full-fledged military conflict in August. Two of their warships collided during a naval standoff over hydrocarbon exploration in the Eastern...
Op-eds
Fear grows for jailed Qatari royal amid health decline as wife pleads at UN for release
His wife is waging David vs. Goliath struggle against wealthy Qatari monarch
Op-eds
Boykott
Germany’s Battle Against the Delegitimization of Israel
Monographs
Qatar’s alleged finance of Hezbollah terrorist movement puts US troops at risk, dossier claims
There are nearly 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in the Middle Eastern country
Op-eds
EU Issues Its First-Ever Cyber Sanctions
The European Union announced its first-ever cyber-related sanctions on Thursday, designating malicious actors from Russia, China, and North Korea. The designations provide an opportunity to bolster transatlantic...
Policy Briefs
Tehran Continues Its Terror Campaign In Europe – Will Europeans Respond?
The Islamic Republic of Iran is waging an assassination campaign in Europe to silence its critics and pressure European governments to adopt conciliatory measures. The uptick should serve as a wakeup call....
Op-eds
Hezbollah permits Lebanon to be rescued by the West
That’s nice but conditions should be attached before any checks are written
Op-eds
Germany outlaws Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah
Germany’s interior ministry on Thursday outlawed all of Hezbollah activities within the Federal Republic, boosting the chances of a European-wide ban on the U.S.-designated Lebanese terrorist entity. “The...
Op-eds
Coronavirus Pandemic Impacts Turkey’s Approach to Displaced Syrians
The offensive launched by Russian- and Iranian-backed forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad in February to capture Syria’s rebel-held Idlib region forced almost one million people to flee their homes, causing...
Op-eds
Occupied Elsewhere
Selective Policies on Occupations, Protracted Conflicts, and Territorial Disputes
Monographs
Russia Strengthens Hand in Europe, Ukraine with Inauguration of TurkStream Pipeline
Russian, Turkish, Bulgarian, and Serbian leaders gathered last week to inaugurate TurkStream, a pipeline designed to supply Russian natural gas to Turkey and Europe while bypassing Ukraine. The project...
Policy Briefs
Germany’s Merkel reneges on NATO defense pledge, causing friction with U.S.
In 2014, Merkel’s government committed her country's defense budget at a NATO conference in Wales to increase its expenditure to 2% by 2024. Her broken promise has created intense friction.
Op-eds
The Most Recent PFLP Hijacking: European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) has a Palestinian terrorist problem. The EP hosted an event last week featuring Khaled Barakat, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), ac...