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 27, 2023

Watts in CNBC on tanks in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

On January 25, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow John Watts was quoted in CNBC on Germany’s change of heart regarding the supply of Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

Conflict Defense Policy

In the News

Jan 27, 2023

Sadat and Siegel cited in RAND

By Atlantic Council

On January 25, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Mir Sadat and Assistant Director Julia Siegel’s issue brief on space traffic management (STM) was cited in a RAND report on cross-domain lessons for STM.

Security & Defense Space

In the News

Jan 27, 2023

Warrick on the Lawfare Podcast

By Atlantic Council

Tom Warrick discusses the history and effectiveness of the Department of Homeland Security’s Fusion Centers

Defense Technologies Energy & Environment

In the News

Jan 27, 2023

Atwell in Modern War Institute

By Atlantic Council

On January 23, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Kyle Atwell hosted a podcast examining the lessons that the US military, and in particular the US Army, should take from the twenty-war year in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Conflict

In the News

Jan 27, 2023

Sanctions dashboard cited by the Hill in “Welcome to Equilibrium” newsletter

Read the full newsletter here.

Economy & Business Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

In the News

Jan 26, 2023

Skaluba featured in Bloomberg on modern tank deliveries to Ukraine

By Christopher Skaluba

On January 26, Transatlantic Security Initiative director Christopher Skaluba was quoted in Bloomberg in which he discussed modern tank deliveries to Ukraine and highlighted that Zelenskyy will return to his playbook in pressuring allies for increased assistance. 

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Jan 26, 2023

Skaluba featured on The Week regarding the importance of reaching consensus among NATO leaders

By Christopher Skaluba

On January 26, Transatlantic Security Initiative director Christopher Skaluba was quoted in The Week, in which he noted the challenge of creating alignment of more than thirty leaders of consensus within the NATO alliance. 

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Jan 26, 2023

Townsend featured in Foreign Policy on the delivery of battle tanks to Ukraine and resulting logistical challenges

By James J. Townsend Jr.

On January 26, Transatlantic Security Initiative senior advisor Jim Townsend was quoted in Foreign Policy regarding the delivery of modern Western battle tanks to Ukraine and the resulting logistical challenges.

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Jan 26, 2023

Skaluba in The Sydney Morning Herald on what western tanks mean for Ukraine

On January 26, Chris’ contributions to What Western tanks will mean for Ukraine were picked up in The Sydney Morning Herald discussing how the delivery of tanks to Ukraine exposed the divisions within a weary West.

Conflict Defense Policy

In the News

Jan 26, 2023

Eser Özdil quoted in CEENERGY News on Turkey’s goal of becoming a gas hub

Energy & Environment Geopolitics & Energy Security