Issue briefs and reports

The Future of NATO-Russian Relations: Or, How to Dance with a Bear and Not Get Mauled

By Gordon B. Hendrickson

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, NATO has enlarged its membership twice with countries formerly under Soviet influence and control, and the Alliance is now preparing to begin the process for a third expansion effort. During this time, Russia has watched the borders of NATO creep ever closer to its […]

Topics in Terrorism: Toward a Transatlantic Consensus on the Nature of the Threat

This paper summarizes three Atlantic Council conferences on terrorism. Each conference, held in Europe, focuses on two or three select topics, from likely future terrorist weapons and targets to the “war of ideas,” the burgeoning terrorism-drugs-organized crime nexus, and other key concerns. Download the PDF

Global Futures and Implications for U.S. Basing

This Atlantic Council report examines the geopolitical context that will likely frame the security environment of the next 20 to 40 years and identifies the implications of U.S. bases in foreign countries. We organized a group of former senior military leaders, diplomats, business leaders, and other experts, with the goal of pooling their wisdom and […]

In search of a legacy: Three possible paths for Taiwan’s Chen Shui-bian

By Kay Webb Mayfield

Time and circumstances make it more and more unlikely that Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-bian will declare de jure independence for Taiwan during his term of office, but Chen has not abandoned his quest for a resolution of Taiwan’s status. The People’s Republic of China and the United States are on guard for new independence-leaning initiatives […]

The New Partnership: Building Russia-West Cooperation on Strategic Challenges

The challenge of transcending the Cold War relationship between Russia and the West and supplanting it with a new partnership capable of dealing cooperatively with the major international issues of the time has been a major focus of policy for the past decade and a half. This report, prepared by non-official leaders and experts from […]

Moldova Matters: Why Progress is Still Possible on Ukraine’s Southwestern Flank

By Pamela Hyde Smith

The Atlantic Council asked Pamela Hyde Smith, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Moldova from 2001 to 2003, to highlight the dangers of the Transnistria situation and to suggest some policy approaches to its resolution. In this paper, Ambassador Smith outlines the challenges faced by Moldova and gives her analysis of how they can best […]

U.S.-Cuban Relations: An Analytic Compendium of U.S. Policies, Laws, and Regulations

By Dianne E. Rennack & Mark P. Sullivan

This compendium presents the texts of the U.S. policy statements, laws, and regulations (or relevant parts thereof) that govern U.S. relations with Cuba, on both the bilateral and multilateral levels. Preceding each group of documents is an analytic summary, which highlights the context, major provisions, and significance of the policies, laws, or regulations in question […]

Military Force Transformation: Progress, Costs, Benefits and Tasks Remaining

By S. J. Deitchman

Following the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, a consensus has emerged that the transformation of the U.S. military has been a success. But, as current events in Iraq and elsewhere demonstrate, U.S. force transformation is not yet complete. This report elaborates not only the history, costs and benefits of transformation to date, but also […]

The Transatlantic Economy in 2020: A Partnership for the Future?

The United States and the European Union maintain the world’s largest and most significant economic relationship, which in turn is a foundation supporting the transatlantic political partnership. By some estimates, the transatlantic economy — including two-way trade and foreign affiliate sales — totals $2.5 trillion and is responsible for 14 million jobs in the United […]