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

Feb 12, 2026

Despite US exemptions, the show goes on for a global minimum corporate tax

By Jeff Goldstein

The United States may have carved out protections for its multinationals, but the global minimum tax continues to move forward. With more than sixty-five countries implementing the OECD framework, policymakers are betting imperfect progress will prevent a relapse into corporate tax competition.

Economy & Business
Europe & Eurasia

Podcast

Feb 11, 2026

Narco noir: Drugs, gangs and mercenaries in Latin America

By Alia Brahimi

In Season 2, Episode 14 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi is joined by Dr Vanda Felbab-Brown, a renowned expert on non-state armed groups and organised crime. They begin by discussing the escalation of gang violence in Haiti over the last year, despite the arrival of the American PMC, Vectus Global, which is led by the Blackwater founder Erik Prince. Vanda points out that a recent air campaign weaponizing off-the-shelf drones was intended to decapitate the gangs but, while hundreds of Haitians have been killed, none of them have been significant gang leaders. They go on to explore why governments in the region allow and coopt street militias, the bunkering of fuel by colectivos in Venezuela, Hizballah’s continuing narcotics operations across Latin America, the IRGC’s role in drug trafficking, and how the regime in Iran ends.

Americas
Caribbean

Econographics

Feb 10, 2026

China’s warning on US Treasuries—and why its timing matters

By Jeremy Mark, Josh Lipsky

Beijing has joined the conversation on the dollar. It was leaked this week that Chinese regulators have been urging domestic financial institutions to cut back on US Treasuries, and this timing is no coincidence.

China
Dollar Dominance

Latest in-depth research and reports

Content

In the News

May 27, 2025

Soofer’s report, “Strengthening Deterrence with SLCM-N,” quoted in Asia Times article

By Atlantic Council

On May 13, Forward Defense senior fellow Robert Soofer was quoted in an Asia Times article titled, “US Navy wants sea-launched nuke missiles to hold China at bay.” The article cites his Atlantic Council issue brief, co-authored with John Harvey, “Strengthening Deterrence with SLCM-N.” The article references their argument that SLCM-N capabilities address “a US […]

China
Defense Policy

In the News

May 27, 2025

Michta featured in RealClearDefense on concrete actions to strengthen NATO’s resolve amid shifting geopolitics  

On May 21, 2025, Andew Michta, senior fellow in the GeoStrategy Initiative, was highlighted in RealClearDefense on a report on how NATO can deter Russian aggression without an overreliance on US military power, which he co-authored with Scott Lee, Peter Jones, and Lisa Bembenick of MITRE. The authors argue that, as the United States pivots […]

Europe & Eurasia
NATO

In the News

May 27, 2025

Busch’s piece on USMCA trade talks featured in the Washington International Trade Association’s USMCA Archives

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Economy & Business
Trade and tariffs

In the News

May 27, 2025

Eftimiades interviewed by NTD on Chinese espionage

By Atlantic Council

On May 20, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Nicholas Eftimiades was interviewed by NTS News, in a segment entitled, “Former Intelligence Officer: China Leverages Entire Society for Intel.” With Tiffany Meier, Eftimiades discusses the Chinese Communist Party’s espionage strategy, pulling insights from his book, Chinese Intelligence Operations and Tactics.

China
Defense Policy

In the News

May 27, 2025

Cryptocurrency Regulation Tracker cited by GIR on the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies

Read the full article

Digital Currencies
Digital Policy

In the News

May 27, 2025

Donovan and Nikoladze cited in the South China Morning Post on the rising role of gold in sanctions evasion

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Economy & Business
Financial Crimes & Illicit Trade

In the News

May 26, 2025

Sapuppo quoted by Kyiv Independent on Putin’s ‘root causes’ claims

By Mercedes Sapuppo

On May 26, Mercedes Sapuppo, assistant director at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, was quoted in the Kyiv Independent on the “root causes” claimed by Russia for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Conflict
Europe & Eurasia

In the News

May 26, 2025

Murray in Politico Europe on Defense Finance in Europe

By Atlantic Council

On May 26, Rob Murray published a piece in Politico Europe on the proposed multilateral Defense, Security, and Resilience (DSR) Bank and the importance of defense financing mechanisms to boost European defense spending.

Defense Policy
Europe & Eurasia

In the News

May 26, 2025

Donovan and Nikoladze cited by Kitco News on the reasons behind the surge in gold demand

Read the full article

Economy & Business
Financial Crimes & Illicit Trade

In the News

May 26, 2025

Lichfield quoted in Les Echoes on potential developments in the Russia-Ukraine war in light of Trump’s change in rhetoric

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Economy & Business
French