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

Podcast

May 5, 2026

Are we headed toward a US-China trade showdown?

By the GeoEconomics Center

With US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing less than two weeks away, Josh and Jessie sit down with the Wall Street Journal’s chief China correspondent, Lingling Wei, to break down what issues will shape the agenda: from the Iran war to Washington’s push for “rules of origin,” which could fundamentally reshape trade relations. They also dig into the backroom drama of past high-level visits, including shouting matches and fistfights.

MENASource

May 5, 2026

Dispatch from Beirut: Israel-Hezbollah talks risk falling into a failed, decades-long pattern

By Nicholas Blanford

As the war with Israel revives Hezbollah and divides Lebanon, the ongoing negotiations echo failed 1983 talks.

Conflict Israel

UkraineAlert

May 4, 2026

Zelenskyy rains on Putin’s parade: Kyiv and Moscow declare rival ceasefires

By Peter Dickinson

Victory Day was supposed to be an opportunity for Vladimir Putin to project power. Instead, this year’s drastically scaled down parade is exposing Russia’s weakness while revealing Ukraine's strength, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Drones
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Latest in-depth research and reports

Report

May 4, 2026

Powering data centers in emerging markets

By Phillip Cornell

This report examines how emerging markets are increasingly powering the next wave of data centers, with recommendations for policymakers.

Africa Artificial Intelligence

Issue Brief

Apr 30, 2026

How Colombia can reduce security threats ahead of its presidential election

By the US–Colombia Strategic Alignment Coalition

Though Colombia's recent legislative elections were largely peaceful, the security environment has worsened in recent weeks amid death threats against candidates and escalating violence by armed groups. The upcoming weeks present a narrow, but critical, window to reduce risks ahead of the May 31 presidential election.

Americas Civil Society

Issue Brief

Apr 29, 2026

Does liberal democracy drive inequalities?

By Yi Zhou

There has been much debate about the relationship between liberal democracy and social and economic inequality, but data shows that free societies remain more equal than their less free counterparts.

Freedom and Prosperity Inclusive Growth
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Content

In the News

Oct 23, 2020

Brooks on New Light Theater Project panel

By Atlantic Council

On October 24, Atlantic Council Nonresident Senior Fellow Michelle Kholos Brooks participated in a panel for the New Light Time Machine project, which revisits past theater productions and creative teams to explore their journeys to production.

Media Nationalism

In the News

Oct 23, 2020

Fishman in War on the Rocks: Make Russia sanctions effective again

By Atlantic Council

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Russia

In the News

Oct 23, 2020

Garlauskas talks about US intelligence and strategy on North Korea on NKNews Podcast

By Atlantic Council

Markus Garlauskas, the former US National Intelligence Officer for North Korea and nonresident senior fellow with the Asia Security Initiative, starred in an episode of NKNews Podcast published on October 23. He discussed WMDs and why the US and North Korea were closer to war in 2015 than in 2017. To listen to the podcast, […]

Defense Policy East Asia

In the News

Oct 22, 2020

Hudson joins the Fox News Rundown to discuss the US-Sudan deal to remove Sudan from terrorism list

By Atlantic Council

Africa Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Oct 22, 2020

Dungan writes in Chatham House blog about the United States and the transatlantic relationship

On October 22, 2020, Nicholas Dungan wrote about American reliability within the transatlantic alliance in the Chatham House International Affairs Blog.

Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Oct 22, 2020

Nikhil Raghuveera: Mission-driven cryptocurrency requires an active commitment to equity

By Atlantic Council

"For cryptocurrency to meaningfully move “the needle on large global challenges,” as Armstrong writes, the underlying causes of inequality must be addressed. And while mission-driven cryptocurrency organizations cannot expect to do this alone, they have an important role to play in developing and directing their products to be used in the service of addressing the underlying problems. Those who declare they’re on a social mission inevitably sign themselves up for this challenge."

Digital Policy Economy & Business

In the News

Oct 22, 2020

In the News: Sara-Jayne Terp’s quest to quash misinformation

By Atlantic Council

"She's also cautiously optimistic about the strength of the network that's under assault. On her road trip, Terp says, the more she drove, the more hopeful she became. ­People were proud of their cities, loved their communities. She saw that when people have something concrete to fight for, they are less prone to end up in phantom battles against illusory enemies. “You have to involve ­people in their own solution,” she says. By creating a world where misinformation makes more sense, Terp hopes more people will be able to reject it."

Coronavirus Cybersecurity

In the News

Oct 22, 2020

Azodi quoted in The New Arab on the expiration of the arms embargo on Iran
Iran Middle East

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Oct 22, 2020

Younus in Dawn: Toxic masculinity is a problem. So what are men going to do about it?

By Atlantic Council

Civil Society Pakistan

In the News

Oct 22, 2020

Wieslander as speaker at George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies Podcast – Security in the 21st Century
Europe & Eurasia European Union
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