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

AfricaSource

Sep 11, 2026

The US must become Africa’s partner on technology and AI. It can do so with soft power.

By Troy Fitrell and Kathryn Fitrell

The United States’ chief adversary has a soft power strategy. Why doesn’t Washington?

Africa Artificial Intelligence

UkraineAlert

Sep 11, 2026

Ukrainian police are preventing Russia from turning civilians into saboteurs

By Andrii Niebytov, Clara Kaluderovic

Since spring 2024, Russia has been waging a campaign far behind the front lines featuring arson, sabotage, and terrorist attacks using Ukrainians who are recruited online, deceived, and discarded, write Andrii Niebytov and Clara Kaluderovic.

Conflict Infrastructure Protection

Podcast

Sep 10, 2026

The Biollywood Podcast: Virus 32 (2022)

By the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense​

"n this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O'Brien, Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, and Wendy Villalta, Assistant Director for Operations, discuss the 2022 foreign language film "Virus 32" and its implications for disease outbreaks, transmission, and mutation.

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Latest in-depth research and reports

In-Depth Research & Reports

Sep 11, 2026

Submission to the UN: Advancing the just repatriation of illicit funds 

By Britt Gronemeyer, Celeste Kmiotek

How can the UN and the international community ensure that when illicit funds are seized, victims of the illicit activity benefit? The Atlantic Council's Strategic Litigation Program contributed a brief to the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights with six key recommendations on the subject.

Corruption Financial Crimes & Illicit Trade

Issue Brief

Sep 8, 2026

Turning early alignment into a durable US-Colombia partnership

By Carolina Barco and Kevin Whitaker

One month into President Abelardo de la Espriella’s administration, early alignment with the Trump administration creates an opening to strengthen US-Colombia cooperation on security, trade and investment, regional stability, and Venezuela’s recovery.

Americas Colombia

Report

Sep 8, 2026

Preparing for and countering limited nuclear attacks in East Asia: Guardian Tiger III

By Markus Garlauskas with John Park and Kyoko Imai. Contributors: Andrew Brown and Jonathan Corrado

The risk of North Korea launching a limited nuclear attack will likely increase over the coming decade. The United States and its allies are not preparing adequately to deter and prevail in the face of such nuclear strikes.

Indo-Pacific Korea
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Content

In the News

May 5, 2022

D’Anieri in the Hill: “The false promises of Biden’s Ukrainian refugee program”

By Atlantic Council

Migration National Security

In the News

May 5, 2022

Sullivan quoted in Reuters on NOPEC
Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

In the News

May 5, 2022

Younus in the diplomat: How Imran Khan Is Disrupting Pakistan’s Political Economy

By Atlantic Council

In the News

May 5, 2022

Samotin in the Wall Street Journal: Why Russian conscripts can’t subdue Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

On May 5, Laura Resnick Samotin published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal examining why Russian conscripts have underperformed in the war in Ukraine.  “We have already seen one recent war between conscript armies. While conscription does not appear to have played a major role in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, the current […]

Conflict Defense Policy

In the News

May 5, 2022

The Hill covered the Israel Initiative’s event with Ambassador to Israel, Thomas R. Nides

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Human Rights

In the News

May 5, 2022

Brahimi in Carnegie Middle East Center: The Lebanese Armed Forces and its leadership have taken a conscious decision to give women much more important roles

By Atlantic Council

Civil Society Human Rights

In the News

May 5, 2022

Nia quoted in the Washington Post on long-term implications of Elon Musk’s control over Twitter

By Atlantic Council

Digital Policy Economy & Business

In the News

May 5, 2022

O’Toole quoted in S&P Global on the US imposing secondary sanctions to prevent Russia from selling oil elsewhere

Read the full article here.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

In the News

May 5, 2022

Wieslander quoted in Financial Times on NATO application security dilemmas

By Anna Wieslander

The period between a NATO application and Article 5 security guarantees poses several security dilemmas for Sweden and Finland. “By various informal steps and declarations in this period by major allies and working with NATO, I think we’ll get through this period,” she told the Financial Times.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

In the News

May 4, 2022

Deni in Foreign Policy: Yes, the United States should weaken Russia

By John R. Deni

John Deni argues that the US should seek to weaken Russia to be able to focus on China in the long term.

China Conflict
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