Insights and impact

About the Council

The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic Community’s central role in meeting global challenges. The Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century by informing and galvanizing its uniquely influential network of global leaders. Through the papers we write, the ideas we generate, and the communities we build, the Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more secure and prosperous world.

NATO 20/2020

Twenty bold ideas to reimagine the Alliance after the 2020 US election

More than two decades after NATO’s inspired decision to invite former adversaries to join its ranks, the Alliance is in need of equally captivating ideas. The essays in this volume are intended to push the Alliance to think boldly and creatively in the service of recapturing the public’s imagination.

Read our provocative essays on the future of NATO

Explore the podcast series

Making a difference

Learn more about the Atlantic Council’s insights & impact through these stories of how our regional and thematic programs are making a difference not only in shaping how we view global issues but also in shaping their outcome.

Latest commentary and analysis

Latest in-depth research and reports

Issue Brief

Mar 20, 2026

Aquatic Tiger: How long-range submarine drones could play a role in a Taiwan conflict

By Markus Garlauskas with contributions from Drew Holliday, Adam Kozloski, Nicholas Takeuchi, and Paul Vebber

Could submarine drones help the United States deter or counter a Chinese attack on Taiwan? The Aquatic Tiger wargame was designed to find out. The Atlantic Council's Indo-Pacific Security Initiative reports on the wargame's findings, with implications for the US government, the defense industry, and more. 

Conflict Defense Technologies

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

Freedom and Prosperity Around the World

Mar 18, 2026

Italy faces a dangerous gap between stability on paper and citizens’ lived experience

By Massimo Morelli

Giorgia Meloni’s three-year tenure as prime minister is unusually long by recent Italian standards. As her government faces its biggest test yet with a referendum on judicial reforms, what explains Meloni’s relative stability—and the frequent turnover that preceded it? A deep dive into economic and political indicators sheds light on Italy’s path forward.

Elections Fiscal and Structural Reform

Content

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Zagorodnyuk in Foreign Policy: Four years of war in Europe

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Vershbow in RealClearDefense: Why we must not ignore Havana Syndrome

By Atlantic Council

Europe & Eurasia National Security

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Temnycky in Forbes: How Ukraine’s youth organizations have been impacted by Russia’s war

By Atlantic Council

Civil Society Conflict

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Temnycky in Forbes: Georgian Dream drifts from NATO and EU as opposition seeks integration

By Atlantic Council

Europe & Eurasia European Union

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Temnycky in Forbes: Hungary creates rift with EU and Ukraine over Russian energy sanctions

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Temnycky in the Hill: Congress can boost US trade and strike a blow to Iran with Azerbaijan’s help

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Karatnycky in the American Spectator: Russia’s vulnerabilities and Trump’s chance for peace in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Karatnycky in Foreign Policy: Ukraine and the paradox of national conservatism

By Atlantic Council

Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Hook in the Hill: Business with dictators is a security risk America has fallen for before

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Mar 20, 2026

Hook in the Hill: No peace in Ukraine until Russia returns its children

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Europe & Eurasia