Elections
#StopTheSteal: A timeline of key activities leading up to the 1/6 insurrection
This in-depth investigation is the most comprehensive timeline for #StopTheSteal to date, and it tracks the campaign to deny the results of the 2020 election.
Sanctions
The rebirth of the State Department’s Office of Sanctions Coordination: Guidelines for success
While sanctions are increasingly a tool of first resort in US foreign policy, the State Department has lacked a disciplined process for coordinating sanctions policy. But the new Office of Sanctions Coordination is an opportunity to fix this problem.
Strategy
The Longer Telegram
China presents the most important challenge to the United States in the twenty-first century. To address this challenge, the United States urgently needs “an integrated, operational, and bipartisan national strategy.”
Europe
Charles Michel on renewing EU-US ties: ‘For global challenges, we need global solutions’
“With the new Biden administration, there is [in] Europe a feeling of hope and the expectation that it will be possible… to rebuild a very strong alliance,” said European Council President Charles Michel.
As the global community continues to grapple with COVID-19 (coronavirus), the Atlantic Council is open for business. Our business, meetings, and events, however, are occurring virtually. For more information, please read a statement from our President and CEO.
Announcing the launch of the
Europe Center
In 2021, the Atlantic Council is doubling down on its mission to promote relations with the European Union, with the Europe Center at its heart. With a new administration in the United States, this is an opportunity to re-invigorate the transatlantic community to tackle common challenges, from climate change to a more assertive China and technological change. But this relationship can’t be steeped in nostalgia. This moment is an opportunity to reshape the Alliance with a more responsible global Europe at its core.
Fri, Dec 18, 2020
Engaging Europe: A transatlantic digital agenda for the Biden administration
Without engagement, Europe and the United States are likely to continue their disparate approaches to the digital economy. The Biden administration must meet the challenge of building better US-EU cooperation on digital issues, for the sake of transatlantic security, prosperity, and shared values.
Fri, Jan 22, 2021
The United States, Germany, and world order: New priorities for a changing alliance
Treating each divergence in security policy as an isolated incident may have allowed policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic to ignore the unpleasant fact that the United States and Germany could have increasingly disparate perceptions of threats and strategic cultures.
Issue Brief by
Wed, Dec 9, 2020
North Macedonia on the threshold of Europe
This report outlines the myriad challenges that face North Macedonia as it struggles to chart a path forward on EU accession and calls for Western leaders—especially those in Europe—to consider how they can be more productively and strategically engaged.
Report by Damir Marusic, Dimitar Bechev
2021 Global Energy Forum
Now in its fifth year, the annual Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum is the go-to energy conference to discuss the geopolitical and market issues confronting the energy industry in the coming year. The Forum convenes the world’s top energy and foreign policy decisionmakers to set the global energy agenda for 2021.
Mon, Jan 18, 2021
The Global Energy Agenda
The inaugural edition of the Global Energy Agenda provides context for the unprecedented year that has passed. It features a survey of thought leaders in the energy sector, as well as a series of essays by the leading figures in energy, to set the energy agenda for 2021.
Thu, Jan 28, 2021
As the aviation industry recovers from one crisis, it is looking to the next: climate change
The COVID-19 pandemic has generated “the most severe crisis for aviation ever,” said Marc Hamy, vice president of corporate affairs, sustainability, and environment at Airbus. But there’s another crisis on the horizon for the aviation industry: “increasing pressure coming from climate change. So we absolutely need to recover from this crisis in aviation, and at the same time we’ll have to manage the most important transition in the history of our sector: decarbonized aviation.” Hamy added.
New Atlanticist by
Tue, Jan 26, 2021
Why companies are getting more involved in the campaign against climate change
BP, the world’s fourth-largest energy conglomerate, and Bank of America, the world’s ninth-largest bank are among the companies endorsing a charter likened to a recovery plan for the planet. Dubbed the Terra Carta, the charter commits them to working toward goals related to meeting global net-zero emissions targets by 2050.
New Atlanticist by
Elections 2020
Sat, Nov 7, 2020
Joe Biden just won the presidency: What does that mean for America’s role in the world?
Atlantic Council experts weigh in on what the outcome of the 2020 election means for US foreign policy and America’s role in the world.
Elections 2020 by
Fri, Nov 6, 2020
Biden’s victory provides an ‘inflection point’ for American democracy
A Biden victory provides an opportunity for Americans to regain their appetite for compromise at home to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges and for international common cause to safeguard the gains in democracy and prosperity of the past seventy-five years.
Inflection Points by Frederick Kempe
Thu, Nov 12, 2020
Complex identities: Kamala Harris and US foreign policy towards the Caribbean
Due to both her experience and her story, Kamala Devi Harris, alongside President-elect Joe Biden, provides an important new symbol of what the United States stands for in the world and could usher in a new era for US-Caribbean relations.
New Atlanticist by
#ACElections2020 events
Elections 2020: America’s Role in the World is a series of conversations on the top foreign policy priorities for the next four years, featuring the most prominent voices shaping the national dialogue. From the Conventions to the Elections, the series will explore key questions concerning America’s role and interests in the world, bringing a foreign policy perspective to the conversation and addressing the most critical issues at the intersection between the domestic and international spheres.
Will democracy prevail?
Belarus
Belarus’ August 2020 presidential election saw widespread protests and serious fraud allegations as President Lukashenka claimed victory against popular opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Following a brutal crackdown against protestors by security forces, will Belarus begin its transition to democracy, or will Belarusians face further repression as Lukashenka’s rule falters?
Wed, Feb 3, 2021
Belarus national reinvention leaves little room for Russia
Vladimir Putin’s decision to prop up the Lukashenka dictatorship in Belarus has forced many Belarusians to rethink their attitudes towards Russia and fueled growing support for greater European integration.
Mon, Feb 1, 2021
Belarus protests echo in Russia: Will Putin repeat Lukashenka’s mistake?
The recent wave of anti-regime protests in Russia have taken inspiration from the six-month pro-democracy uprising in neighboring Belarus. Will Putin repeat Belarus dictator Lukashenka’s hardline response?
UkraineAlert by Vladislav Davidzon
Wed, Jan 27, 2021
Protest mood spreads from Belarus to Russia as calls grow for post-Soviet change
As Russians took to the streets across eleven time zones on January 23 to protest the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, many of them also had protests in neighboring Belarus on their minds.
UkraineAlert by Brian Whitmore
Coronavirus
A global crisis
While global policymakers race to contain the coronavirus, the outbreak has already disrupted the global economy and challenged the strength of societies. The pandemic has transformed relations between countries and could trigger a significant shift in the international order.
Wed, Sep 30, 2020
Nepal in the face of intersectional crises: A history of mismanagement
Nepal’s poor governance track record—characterized by inadequate leadership after the 2015 earthquake, a divided ruling party, corruption and mishandling of funds by the government, and questionable governance practices by the prime minister—not only puts the population at a disadvantage in weathering the pandemic, but it also may deal additional blows to the country’s health and economic wellbeing.
Tue, Sep 29, 2020
The impact of COVID-19 on either shore of the Mediterranean
This report draws on case studies of Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and migration to the EU to illuminate the key challenges faced in the Mediterranean community, and warns of the undesirable outcomes ahead if international inaction toward the region persists.
Issue Brief by Karim Mezran, Emily Burchfield, Paolo Alli, Emadeddin Badi, Haykel Ben Mahfoudh, Alessia Melcangi
Mon, Sep 14, 2020
IDB president warns of a looming COVID debt crisis in Latin America, but also highlights opportunities
Actions taken throughout the region to control not only the pandemic, but also “the spread of poverty [and] the spread of unemployment,” have “increased debt to households, to governments, and to businesses,” Moreno explained, while the restrictions of movement and commerce imposed to curb the spread of the virus will make it more difficult for Latin American economies to cope with this debt once the initial phase of the crisis is over.
New Atlanticist by David A. Wemer
Upcoming events
Atlantic Council Front Page
#ACFrontPage harnesses the convening power and expertise of the Council’s fourteen programs and centers to spotlight the world’s most prominent leaders and the most compelling ideas across sectors. The virtual platform engages new audiences eager for nonpartisan and constructive solutions to current global challenges. This widely promoted 45-minute program features the Council’s most important guests and content serving as the highlight of our programming each week.
Commentary and analysis
Mon, Jun 29, 2020
NAFTA’s successor is about to take effect. Here’s why it will be good for North America—and bad for the WTO
While the USMCA preserves free-trade flows among the three member countries, its use by the United States as a template for future trade negotiations, starting with the EU and the United Kingdom, would have a far-reaching effect on future developments of world trade.
New Atlanticist by Hung Tran
Tue, Jun 23, 2020
US government broadcasters have long advanced the cause of freedom. Now they’re under threat.
One of the most effective tools for explaining America and its best values to the world may vanish. But you don’t advance freedom by dismantling free institutions or a free press. You advance it by empowering them.
New Atlanticist by Josh Lipsky, Daniel Fried
Mon, Jun 8, 2020
Where does China really stand on debt relief?
So far, many developing countries have avoided the worst effects of the virus. But it may be only a matter of time before underdeveloped health systems are overwhelmed. China can make a big difference by accelerating debt relief. But it is not clear whether Beijing is prepared to act under any motivation beyond the bottom-line concerns of its own lending institutions.
New Atlanticist by
In-depth research and reports
Flagship events


2020 Distinguished Leadership Awards
Among the most significant events on the Washington calendar celebrating global leaders, the Distinguished Leadership Awards is one of the Atlantic Council’s flagship convenings – bringing together a global audience of over 800 guests from more than fifty countries–including global policymakers, business leaders, military brass, and top-tier media.
From the Atlantic Council’s Blogs


Critical Issues
Resilience
The growing threats of climate change, migration, natural disasters, and spillover from violent conflict are forcing policy makers to focus on the resilience of their societies and institutions. While not all crises can be avoided, societies can be made more resilient through proper preparation before, during, and after a disaster or shock occurs.
READ MORE
Disinformation
The rise of the internet and online social networks has altered the scope and scale at which people access, consume, and communicate information. But the same technologies that have democratized access to information have also enabled malicious actors who seek to undermine our democratic values and processes. Disinformation is false or misleading information spread with the intention to deceive.
READ MORE
NATO
NATO is the bedrock of transatlantic security, encompassing nearly thirty democracies across North America and Europe. Created to defend against the Soviet Union, the Alliance today protects member states against conventional attack, engages in peacekeeping and stabilization operations, and leads counterterrorism and piracy efforts. NATO works with partner countries around the world and continues to promise an “open door” for countries to become members if they fulfill the Alliance’s democratic and operational standards.
READ MORE


Critical Regions
Africa
A continent of fifty-four nations, Africa holds vast opportunity and promise. Its 1.2 billion population is expected to double by 2050 and become the world’s largest region. Alongside this demographic boom, Africa is home to almost half the world’s fastest-growing economies as its leaders are taking steps to expand the movement of goods, people, and capital within the continent. Demand for democracy is high and protest movements have proven that citizen activism can unseat consolidated African strongmen.
READ MORE
Europe & Eurasia
Stretching from the shores of the Atlantic to the mountains of Central Asia, the European and Eurasian landmass contains both some of the most stable and wealthy countries in the world, as well as some of the poorest and those led by repressive regimes. After centuries of devastating conflicts, new institutions and organizations for economic, political, and security integration provide an opportunity to bring stability
READ MORE
Middle East
Stretching from the Western Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, the Middle East continues to be a region struggling with violent conflict, political repression, and poor development. Numerous pro-democracy protest movements, a burgeoning youth population, and efforts to reform governments and lessen economic dependence on oil, however, are causes for optimism. The United States and the international community must remain engaged with the region to provide support for these positive moves and to address the many remaining challenges.
READ MORE



















Follow us on social media