Trump and Syria: the entanglement begins?
Much of the Syrian opposition and its regional backers will view US strikes as the thin end of the wedge
Syria / Iraq / Lebanon
Time to play the money card in Syria
Despite understandable hesitation, European leaders should increase stabilisation support for Syria, and accept that assistance can no longer be tied to an unattainable transition
Six problems with Trump’s anti-ISIS strategy
The emerging picture is of an administration single-mindedly focused on inflicting military defeats, at the expense of the more complicated political dimensions needed to underpin sustainable solutions
Syria talks must narrow the goals to widen the goal posts
Europe can help set a forward-looking agenda by encouraging a pragmatic approach focussed on smaller, achievable aims.
Turn the search light outwards
In focusing exclusively on Western crimes, parts of the European Left are letting Putin and Assad off the hook for Syria and Ukraine
Russia’s Syria Quandary
The Astana process may represent a moment of new Russian seriousness
Learning the right lessons from Aleppo
We may need to lower our expectations and recognise the inherent limitations and trade-offs of seeking to reduce atrocities overseas
The first Trump test: European policy and the Siege of Aleppo
There is no longer any real hope of deposing Assad. Europe must instead work towards an ugly deal that salvages something for the Syrian people.
Europe must end its silence on Syria
ECFR Council members call for European states to provide emergency airlift services in Aleppo and implement additional sanctions on Russia for its complicity in war crimes
The battle for Mosul: So far so good
The military plan A is working well, for now. But if it encounters problems, the myriad of actors involved could start to pull in different directions, to the detriment of Mosul’s future.