Issue briefs and reports

Issue briefs and reports

Our programs and centers deliver in-depth, highly relevant issue briefs and reports that break new ground, shift opinions, and set agendas on public policy, with a focus on advancing debates by integrating foundational research and analysis with concrete policy solutions.

Invest in space or lose the high ground

Report Mar 30, 2026

How the West lost the post-Cold War era

By Brian Whitmore

The latest Atlantic Council Eurasia Center report examines the lessons from the post-Cold War period and what the United States and its allies can do to counter Russian revanchism today.
Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy
Invest in space or lose the high ground

Atlantic Council Strategy Paper Series Feb 10, 2026

Global Foresight 2036

In this year’s Global Foresight edition, our experts share findings from our survey of geostrategists on how human affairs could unfold over the next decade. Our scholars spot “snow leopards” that could have major unexpected impacts over the next decade. And our tech experts put AI’s forecasting ability to the test.
Africa Central Asia
Invest in space or lose the high ground

Issue Brief Mar 19, 2026

Federal agencies under pressure need smarter systems, not tougher people

By Caitlin Thompson

Resilience is an important trait for national security practitioners, but it is not a solution for problems with agency and department design. Better systems and strategies can ensure that individuals are fully prepared and ready to respond to crises, rather than consistently under strain.
National Security Resilience

Content

Issue Brief

Jul 23, 2025

Invest in space or lose the high ground

By Edward Brady, Clementine G. Starling-Daniels

Space superiority underpins military dominance across all domains. To deter and win future conflicts, the United States must significantly invest in the capabilities of its Space Force—including space command and control, as well as domain awareness.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Issue Brief

Jul 21, 2025

Atlantic piracy, current threats, and maritime governance in the Gulf of Guinea

By Maisie Pigeon

A drop in attacks in the Gulf of Guinea does not necessarily mean piracy has been resolved. Pirates have adapted their tactics, and the potential for resurgence remains high; this issue remains a critical security and development concern. It is not just a regional priority—it is an international imperative.

Africa Economy & Business
21st Infantry Division guard post on the Korean Demilitarized Zone

Issue Brief

Jul 17, 2025

Collective security in the Indo-Pacific: Rethinking the United Nations Command

By Richard D. Butler, Shawn P. Creamer

Europe has NATO. The Indo-Pacific needs a similar mechanism. Enter the United Nations Command, a legacy of the Korean War ready to be refitted for the current threat landscape in the Pacific.

Indo-Pacific NATO

Report

Jul 16, 2025

Digital occupation: Pro-Russian bot networks target Ukraine’s occupied territories on Telegram

By Yuliia Dukach, Iryna Adam, and Meredith Furbish

New analysis of 3,634 automated accounts spreading pro-Russian propaganda on Telegram channels used by Ukrainian populations in occupied territories shows Russia's attempts to extend its occupation into digital spaces.

Conflict Disinformation

Russia Tomorrow

Jul 14, 2025

The next generation: Russia’s future rulers

By Mikhail Zygar

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series explores the rising generation in the Kremlin-connected elite and what this shift means for Russia’s future.

Corruption Europe & Eurasia

Issue Brief

Jul 11, 2025

Developing and emerging economies should double down on trade liberalization

By Markus Jaeger

The fate of the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs may be unclear—announced and immediately suspended in early April; now set to take effect in July—but it is reasonably clear what emerging and developing economies should do: Resist protectionism, strengthen macroeconomic resilience, and attract foreign investment to navigate rising US trade barriers and uncertainty.

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs
Republic of Korea Marines storm onto beach during a simulated amphibious assault

Issue Brief

Jul 10, 2025

South Korea is the ideal anchor for the first island chain

By Brian Kerg

The assumptions underpinning analysis and discussion of conflict in the Indo-Pacific are due for a rethink. Though many conversations about Chinese military aggression assume South Korea would not get involved, it could play a decisive role in deterring and defeating an attack on Taiwan.

China Conflict

Issue Brief

Jul 10, 2025

Two US policy options for Venezuela: Shaping reform vs. ‘maximum pressure’ toward regime collapse

By Venezuela Solutions Group

The White House faces a choice: Should it use sanctions leverage to try to extract concessions from Nicolas Maduro on energy security, migration, and democratic reforms? Or should it bet on a return to “maximum pressure" in the hopes of precipitating a transition in Caracas?

Democratic Transitions Energy & Environment

Report

Jul 10, 2025

Exploring the global digital ID landscape

By Coley Felt, Will LaRivee

The worldwide adoption of digital identity systems varies significantly across regions and implementation approaches.

Africa Digital Policy

Report

Jul 8, 2025

For the US and the free world, security demands a resilience-first approach

By Elizabeth Sizeland

This report is the foundational document of the Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative and outlines a bold vision to embed resilience as a core pillar of US and allied security. As crises compound, this report calls for investing across individual, institutional, and international levels of resilience to withstand, adapt, and thrive amid disruption. 

Crisis Management Cybersecurity
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