Katherine Walla

1 day ago | atlanticcouncil.org | Katherine Walla

Securing the EU: Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis on trade and defense Speaker Valdis Dombrovskis Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, European Commission Moderator Jörn Fleck Senior Director, Europe Center, Atlantic Council Introductory remarks Josh Lipsky Chair of International Economics; Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council Uncorrected transcript: Check against delivery JOSH LIPSKY: Good morning, and welcome to day three of...

4 days ago | atlanticcouncil.org | Katherine Walla

Inclusive Growth International Financial Institutions International Markets Macroeconomics Trade and tariffs United States and Canada Inside the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings as leaders navigate the global trade war International Monetary Fund Director Kristalina Georgieva sent a sobering message to financial leaders last week: Expect “notable markdowns” in forecasted economic growth and, for some countries, a hike in inflation.

1 week ago | atlanticcouncil.org | Katherine Walla

Amid a deepening security crisis, the Trump administration is reportedly considering whether to reduce the US footprint in Somalia, for example by closing the US embassy in Mogadishu. This potential reversal comes even as the United States continues to carry out airstrikes against Somali militants. Islamist insurgents, including al-Shabaab and the Somali affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS-S), are making territorial gains.

1 week ago | atlanticcouncil.org | Katherine Walla

Last Saturday’s mostly indirect negotiations between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi marked an abrupt turnaround for US President Donald Trump. In 2018, during his first term, Trump ended US participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated by his predecessor, President Barack Obama, and criticized the deal’s sunset clauses, sanctions relief, and failure to address Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional malign influence.

1 week ago | atlanticcouncil.org | Katherine Walla

Buenos Aires is getting a boost. On April 11, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) a twenty-billion-dollar, four-year loan to Argentina, with the first twelve billion dollars arriving on April 15. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and World Bank followed up by releasing another $22 billion in financing. In response, Argentina lifted large elements of its currency and capital controls, known as the “cepo,” which had long stifled investment and growth.