Issues

NATO Security & Defense

Regions

Europe & Eurasia Russia
About Related Content

Events

Public Event Tue, May 21, 2024 • 12:30 pm ET

The Washington NATO Summit: Ukraine and transatlantic security
Conflict Europe & Eurasia National Security NATO
Online Event Mon, October 23, 2023 • 8:00 am ET

A bold agenda for the 2024 NATO summit in Washington
Central Europe Eastern Europe NATO Northern Europe
Public Event Tue, October 10, 2023 • 10:00 am ET

Protecting US interests: How to defeat Putin and set Ukraine on the path to NATO
Central Europe Eastern Europe NATO Russia
Load More

All Content

In the News

Dec 6, 2019

Fried, Vershbow, and Åslund quoted in Axios on Russia under Putin

By Atlantic Council

As Putin reaches nearly twenty years in power, Amb. Alexander Vershbow, former US ambassador to Russia; Amb. Daniel Fried, former US ambassador to Poland; and Anders Åslund, senior fellow, Eurasia Center, speak to Dave Lawler from Axios about what Russia has become under Putin's rule and what its future will look like without him.

Conflict Corruption

Press and members call

Dec 4, 2019

Atlantic Council press call: Unpacking the NATO Leaders’ Meeting

By Atlantic Council

On Wednesday, December 4, transatlantic leaders gather in London for the NATO Leaders' Meeting. Marking the 70th anniversary of the military alliance, the meeting is an opportunity to take stock of NATO’s progress over the last three major summits and discuss how to transform the Alliance for the future. The summit will come at a tense time for the Alliance, with allies divided over issues such as trade, burden-sharing, Syria, and Iran, while the meeting's host country will be only a few days away from a general election. Following the summit and rounding off NATO's historic 70th anniversary year, Amb. Alexander Vershbow, Chris Skaluba, and Andrew Marshall, discuss key takeaways from the Leaders Meeting and priorities for the NATO alliance moving forward.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Dec 4, 2019

NATO leaders disperse the storm clouds in London

By David A. Wemer

Despite a litany of high-profile disagreements between allies over the last few weeks, the NATO Leaders’ Meeting in London on December 4 “ended on a very positive note,” with a “pretty substantial declaration and agenda for the future,” according to Alexander Vershbow. The meeting, Vershbow observed, “went in like a lion and out like a lamb.”

NATO
Load More

Ambassador Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and Eurasia Center. Vershbow was the deputy secretary general of NATO from February 2012 to October 2016.

Prior to his post at NATO, Vershbow served for three years as the US assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. In that position, he was responsible for coordinating US security and defense policies relating to the nations and international organizations of Europe (including NATO), the Middle East, and Africa.

From 1977 to 2008, Vershbow was a career member of the United States Foreign Service. He served as US ambassador to NATO (1998-2001); to the Russian Federation (2001-05); and to the Republic of Korea (2005-08). He held numerous senior positions in Washington, including special assistant to the president and senior director for European affairs at the National Security Council (1994-97) and State Department director for Soviet Union affairs (1988-91). During his career, he was centrally involved in strengthening US defense relations with allies in Europe and Asia and in transforming NATO and other European security organizations to meet post-Cold War challenges. He also was involved in efforts to support democracy and human rights in the former Soviet Union.