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

Jul 5, 2023

Zysk in The Barents Observer on Russian exercise in the Barents Sea

By Katarzyna Zysk

On July 5, Transatlantic Security Initiative nonresident senior fellow Katarzyna Zysk was interviewed in The Barents Observer discussing Russia’s strategic aviation exercise over the Barents Sea ahead of next week’s NATO Summit.

Europe & Eurasia Russia

In the News

Jul 5, 2023

Rich Outzen joins Israeli TV i24 to discuss Syria-Russian exercises

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Jul 5, 2023

Wieslander interviewed on Radio Sweden

P1 Morgon President Biden and Swedish prime minister Kristersson met in Washington, D.C. to discuss Sweden’s accession to NATO. Sveriges Radio speaks to Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council.

NATO Northern Europe

In the News

Jul 5, 2023

Wieslander quoted in Washington Post

Biden meets with Swedish prime minister to bolster country’s bid to join NATO Biden’s meeting with Kristersson sent an important signal to Turkey that the United States will stand by Sweden, but it remains to be seen whether a last-ditch push from the White House changes the timeline or trajectory. “It is important that it […]

NATO Northern Europe

In the News

Jul 4, 2023

“The Future of War”: Assistant director Kitsch Liao interviewed for The Economist

On July 4, 2023, Global China Hub Assistant Director Kitsch Liao spoke to The Economist about Chinese cyberwarfare and hybrid warfare against Taiwan, and what China’s current capabilities would mean in the event of a live conflict.

China Russia

In the News

Jul 4, 2023

Wieslander interviewed on Radio Sweden

Swedish PM to meet US President Biden Wednesday evening to discuss NATO Sweden’s PM Ulf Kristersson will meet with US President Joe Biden Wednesday evening to discuss Sweden’s entry into NATO. Anna Wieslander, director of Northern Europe at Atlantic Council, says that the meeting will possibly give new energy into the process of NATO accession […]

NATO Northern Europe

In the News

Jul 3, 2023

CBDC Tracker cited by CoinGeek

Read the full article here.

Digital Currencies Digital Policy

In the News

Jul 3, 2023

Tran featured by MDB Reform Accelerator for Summit for a New Global Financing Pact

Read the full piece here.

Economy & Business European Union

In the News

Jul 3, 2023

Lipsky op-ed on CBDCs published by Il Sole

Read the full article here.

Digital Currencies Digital Policy

In the News

Jul 3, 2023

Tran cited by MDB Reform Accelerator on the Paris Summit

Read the full piece here.

Economy & Business Inclusive Growth