Weekly World News Update from the World Affairs Councils of America
Quotes of the Week
“We’ve got a deal, it’s a great deal, we’re out.”
— British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
“The most ambitious partnership is what we had. When you are not a member of the EU then, objectively speaking, your position is different and less favorable.”
— Michel Barnier, European Commission’s Head of Task Force for Relations with the UK
“[Will the] new relationship be determined by the economic interests of our country or by the ideological commitments to break with the European social model that drove so many of the Brexit enthusiasts? I am sorry to say that today’s statement suggests… that ideology has trumped common sense.”
— Paul Blomfield, Labor Party’s Shadow Brexit Minister
Brexit and the New EU
“Goodbye Europe, Hello America?” Madeleine Kearns — National Review, February 4, 2020
“Keeping the Relationship Special” Patrick Davies — American Foreign Service Association, January/February 2020
“Europe Can’t Afford to Alienate the UK” Romain Leick — Der Spiegel, January 31, 2020
“The European Union’s Double Crisis of Legitimacy” Yascha Mounk — The Atlantic, January 31, 2020
“It Was All a Dream: There Was No Way to Stop Brexit” David Runciman — The Guardian, February 1, 2020
Coronavirus Update
“Coronavirus Outbreak: What Is the U.S. Public Health Response?” Lindsay Maizland — Council on Foreign Relations, February 4, 2020
“The Economics of Pandemics and Quarantines” Vincent Geloso — American Institute of Economic Research, January 28, 2020
Russia-China: Progress?
“Russia Struggles With the Chinese Challenge” Pavel Baev — Eurasia Daily Monitor, February 5, 2020
“How Much Will Russia Benefit from New Pipeline to China?” Li-Chen Sim — Responsible Statecraft, February 5, 2020
Macron in the Middle
“Macron Torn Between Poland and Putin” Rym Momtaz — Politico EU, February 4, 2020
“Macron’s Visit to Warsaw” Ray Wojcik — Center for European Policy Analysis, January 31, 2020
The Foreign Policies of War
“Outspoken Recep Tayyip Erdogan Challenges Both Washington and Moscow” Simon Tisdall — The Guardian, February 1, 2020
“Turkish Gambit: Impact of Aggressive Foreign Policy” Mustafa Batman — Yale University, January 28, 2020
“Stuck in the Middle: Iraq and the Enduring Conflict Between the United States and Iran” Vanda Felbab-Brown — Brookings, January 29, 2020
“U.S. Commander Visits Iraq Amid Tensions Over Strike That Killed Iranian General” Missy Ryan — The Washington Post, February 4, 2020
“Americans Demand a Rethinking of the ‘Forever War’” Edward Wong — New York Times, February 2, 2020
Proxy Actions in Africa
“Trump Scapegoats Almost a Quarter of Africa’s Population” Ishaan Tharoor — The Washington Post, February 5, 2020
“Africa: The First Casualty of the New Information Warfare Against China” Caleb Slayton — War on the Rocks, February 3, 2020
“Algeria Battles Larger Countries to Vie for Leading Role in Libya Peace Process” Simon Speakman Cordell — Al- Monitor, February 4, 2020
South America Snapshot
“Can India Become a Player in Latin America?” Ketan Mehta — The Diplomat, February 1, 2020
“End the Failed Venezuela Regime Change Policy” Daniel Larison — The American Conservative, February 3, 2020
“From Exile, Evo Morales Fights to Maintain Influence in Bolivia” Frida Ghitis — World Politics Review, January 30, 2020
“How Dollarization Saved Ecuador’s Economy” Mauricio Ríos García — WorldCrunch, January 28, 2020
North Korea Watch
“North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Finds Himself in a Bind of His Own Making” Artyom Lukin — Stratfor Worldview, January 31, 2020
“How to Approach the North Korea Problem in 2020” Michael Fuchs and Haneul Lee — Center for American Progress, February 3, 2020
Power and Protection
“The Infallibility of Popes and Presidents” Robert Zaretsky — RealClear World, February 4, 2020
