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.

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Featured content

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

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Explore the podcast series

NATO 20/2020 Podcast

NATO 20/2020 is a weekly podcast that explores 20 bold ideas to push NATO to be more visionary, more capable, and more self-evidently valuable to the security of more people.

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.

Artwork by Peter Kuper

In the News

Dec 17, 2020

The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center partners with LEADERS Magazine to dedicate an entire issue to resilience

For its Fall/Winter issue of 2020, LEADERS Magazine, asked the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center to produce an issue dedicated to resilience. The Resilience Issue assembles a broad range of global thought leaders and experts who are currently tackling the challenges and crises facing the world from different perspectives.

Insights & Impact

Mar 3, 2020

Peering Around the Corner: The Geopolitics of Coronavirus

By Atlantic Council

On February 11, 2020 the DFRLab hosted "Peering Around the Corner: The Geopolitics of Coronavirus," a timely series of panels on the potential geopolitical and economic consequences of Coronavirus, and how misinformation about the crisis may influence its impact.

China Disinformation

Program Impact Story

Feb 6, 2020

US energy priorities abroad: A conversation with US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette

By Global Energy Center

On Friday, February 7, 2020, the Atlantic Council hosted newly appointed US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette for a public address and moderated discussion about US government energy priorities abroad.

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Latest commentary and analysis

UkraineAlert

Mar 24, 2026

Russia bombs UNESCO site as Putin escalates attacks on Ukrainian civilians

By Peter Dickinson

Russia bombed a UNESCO World Heritage site in the historic heart of west Ukrainian city Lviv on March 24 as Kremlin efforts to target Ukraine’s civilian population continue to escalate, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Drones

UkraineAlert

Mar 24, 2026

US secures new Belarus prisoner release in exchange for sanctions relief

By Mercedes Sapuppo

Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka released 250 political prisoners on March 19 in exchange for US sanctions relief as Washington’s efforts to revive diplomatic ties with Minsk continued, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 24, 2026

Could Russia use fake separatists to destabilize Estonia and discredit NATO?

By James Rice

In recent weeks, references to a pro-Russian separatist movement in neighboring Estonia have begun appearing with increasing frequency on social media. However, not everyone is convinced that the so-called "Narva People's Republic" is worthy of serious attention, writes James Rice.

Conflict Disinformation
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Latest in-depth research and reports

Issue Brief

Mar 20, 2026

The economic and political traps awaiting aging societies

By Markus Jaeger

Rapidly aging populations and falling birthrates create fiscal and economic headwinds that even advanced economies struggle to manage. Some middle-income countries are approaching the same “demographic cliff” at an even faster clip, while many lower-income countries face the opposite problem. Policymakers in all cases must be prepared to make politically tough decisions—and soon.

Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform

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
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Content

In the News

Oct 24, 2025

Lourie quoted in the Jerusalem Post on US-Israel defense technology cooperation

By Atlantic Council

On October 24, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Linda Lourie was quoted in an article from the Jerusalem Post titled "CET Sandbox bridging battlefield tested Israeli defense tech with Washington."

Defense Industry Defense Policy

In the News

Oct 24, 2025

The CBDC Tracker cited by Bloomberg in a piece on the future of money

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In the News

Oct 23, 2025

Nikoladze quoted by Barron’s on Russian oil sanctions

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In the News

Oct 23, 2025

Spencer in Eurasianet on Russia’s creation of a digital iron curtain

By Katherine Spencer

On October 22, Katherine Spencer, program assistant at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, was published in Eurasianet on Russia’s increasing internet restrictions and blackouts.

Europe & Eurasia Internet

In the News

Oct 23, 2025

Donovan quoted in The Independent on the new sanctions’ significance and their expected immediate impact on Russia’s oil profits

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In the News

Oct 23, 2025

Nikoladze quoted in Bankier.pl on the Trump administration’s new sanctions significantly cutting Russia’s oil revenues and underscoring Washington’s determination to end the war in Ukraine

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In the News

Oct 23, 2025

Donovan quoted in Kyiv Post on the Trump administration’s new sanctions targeting key energy firms and signaling a US commitment in pushing for a ceasefire

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In the News

Oct 22, 2025

Tannebaum quoted in The New York Times on US sanctions on Russia only being effective if Washington is willing to use or threaten secondary sanctions on third countries

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In the News

Oct 21, 2025

Bayoumi for the Irregular Warfare Initiative on countering Chinese influence in the Pacific Islands

On October 21, Imran Bayoumi, associate director of the GeoStrategy Initiative, published an article for the Irregular Warfare Initiative titled “Policing the Pacific: How China Expands Influence Where the US Looks for Allies.” In the article, Bayoumi examines China’s use of police partnerships in the Pacific Islands and how Washington can adapt this strategy to […]

China Defense Policy

In the News

Oct 20, 2025

Pınar Dost op-ed for Turkiye Today on Russia-Ukraine and Gaza conflicts
Conflict Europe & Eurasia
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