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


Econographics

Jun 19, 2026

Central banks can’t afford to keep missing their inflation targets

By
Jack Muldoon

While the Iran war explains the sudden rise in inflation, relying on this excuse obscures that there is potentially a long-term problem central banks will need to confront as they manage the long tail of this crisis.


Economy & Business


Macroeconomics


UkraineAlert

Jun 18, 2026

Putin’s obsession with ‘denazifying’ Ukraine makes peace impossible

By
Peter Dickinson

Putin’s obsession with “denazifying” Ukraine makes a mockery of efforts to portray the Russian invasion as a mere land grab and helps explain why there has been no meaningful progress toward peace despite more than a year of US-led efforts, writes Peter Dickinson.


Conflict


Disinformation


Podcast

Jun 18, 2026

“Shoot everybody”: US contractors in San Diego court

By
Alia Brahimi

In Season 2, Episode 16 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi is joined by Daniel McLaughlin, an international lawyer and Legal Director of the Centre for Justice and Accountability (CJA), a California-based legal nonprofit working on behalf of victims of torture and other atrocity crimes. Daniel and CJA are leading a civil suit in San Diego against a Delaware-registered PMC, Spear Operations Group, for war crimes in Yemen. They represent the Yemeni parliamentarian Anssaf Ali Mayo, who was one of the targets of an alleged hit-squad in Yemen. Daniel talks us through the facts of the case, how it ended up in a California courtroom ten years later, and which US and international laws were ostensibly broken by the PMC. He also argues forcefully that the US government has a duty to regulate how former members of its military use their training and know-how.


Middle East


Rule of Law

Latest in-depth research and reports

Content

In the News

Jan 4, 2016

Dobriansky: Putin’s Anti-Obama Propaganda is Ugly and Desperate

By Paula Dobriansky

Atlantic Council Board Director Paula J. Dobriansky cowrites for the Washington Post on the anti-Obama rhetoric by Russian government officials and how it differs from Soviet-era anti-American propaganda:

Russia

In the News

Jan 2, 2016

Guardian Features Atlantic Council Iran Conference

By Atlantic Council

The Guardian features a conference hosted by the Atlantic Council on the future of the Iran nuclear deal, quoting international trade compliance lawyer Adam Smith and specialist in Middle East affairs at the Congressional Research Service Kenneth Katzman:

Iran

In the News

Jan 2, 2016

Vakhshouri on Foreign Investment in Iran’s Oil Market

By Sara Vakhshouri

The Guardian quotes Global Energy Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Sara Vakhshouri on how US energy companies are not likely to invest in Iran’s oil market in 2016 due to security issues:

Iran

In the News

Jan 1, 2016

Ward: What Do Millennials Want for US Foreign Policy?

By Alex Ward

Brent Scowcroft Center Associate Director Alex Ward writes for The National Interest on why today’s political debate does not represent the Millennial vision for America’s role in the world:

In the News

Jan 1, 2016

Pham on Boko Haram’s Deadly Year

By J. Peter Pham

NBC News quotes Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham on the increasing number of attacks carried out by Boko Haram against Nigeria and neighboring countries throughout 2015:

Nigeria

In the News

Jan 1, 2016

Aslund on the Gazprom Baltic Sea Pipeline

By Anders Aslund

The Washington Post quotes Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center Resident Senior Fellow Anders Aslund on how the Gazprom Baltic Sea pipeline is a direct implementation of Russia’s geopolitical and economic goals in the region:

Energy & Environment Russia

In the News

Dec 31, 2015

Herbst: Ukraine 2015 In Review

By John Herbst

Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center Director John E. Herbst writes for Ukraine’s Den on the major events concerning Ukraine in 2015: Read the full article here.

Ukraine

In the News

Dec 31, 2015

Alami: Can FSA Get Back on its Feet after Russian Intervention?

By Mona Alami

Rafik Hariri Center Nonresident Fellow Mona Alami writes for Al Monitor on how the Free Syrian Army is coping with its combat efforts after increased military intervention from Russian forces:

Russia Syria

In the News

Dec 31, 2015

Hof on Syria Ceasefire Plan

By Frederic C. Hof

Reuters quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof on the challenges of building out a ceasefire plan for the Syria conflict:

Syria

In the News

Dec 31, 2015

Ackerman on Independent Candidates and Presidential Debates

Peter Ackerman, a member of the Atlantic Council’s board of directors, joins C-SPAN to discuss his efforts to open up the presidential debate process to more independent candidates. Watch the full interview here.