Recent analysis

Programs

The Atlantic Council Technology Programs comprises five existing efforts—the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), the GeoTech Center, the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, the Democracy + Tech Initiative, and the Capacity Building Initiative. These operations work together to address the geopolitical implications of technology and provide policymakers and global stakeholders necessary research, insights, and convenings to address challenges around global technology and ensure its responsible advancement.

Content

UkraineAlert

Jun 3, 2022

Imperial myths and genocidal realities: 100 days of Putin’s Ukraine War

By Nestor Barchuk

Putin’s Ukraine war relies on a series of propaganda myths that reflect modern Russia’s failure to break with its imperialistic past. If Europe wants to achieve a lasting peace, it must work toward a post-imperial Russia.

Conflict Democratic Transitions
Belarusian soldiers from the Unit 103rd Vitebsk Guard Aircraft Brigade conduct joint combat exercises with police units in the Gomel region of Belarus, Feb 16, 2022. (Source: Eyepress via Reuters Connect)

New Atlanticist

Jun 3, 2022

Russian War Report: Signs of renewed Belarusian troop movements towards Ukrainian border

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarusian troops seem to be on the move again toward their border with Ukraine while the Kremlin spreads claims of killed NATO officers and blames the West for global food shortages.

Belarus Disinformation

BelarusAlert

May 31, 2022

From White Russia to Belarus: Norway snubs Kremlin with name change

By Peter Dickinson

Norway has announced that it will now use the name “Belarus” instead of “Hviterussland” (literally “White Russia”) in a move reflecting growing awareness that Belarus should not be viewed through a Russian lens.

Belarus Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 31, 2022

Memo to Henry Kissinger: Appeasing Putin means enabling genocide

By Stephen Blank

Appeasing Russia will not end the war in Ukraine or secure peace in our time. On the contrary, it will embolden Putin, prolong Ukraine’s pain, weaken the West, and destabilize the entire world, writes Stephen Blank.

Conflict Disinformation
A camouflaged Russian tank outside the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine, March 16, 2022. (Source: Reuters/Energoatom)

New Atlanticist

May 27, 2022

Russian War Report: Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels claim Ukraine is building a “dirty bomb”

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels misrepresented comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to claim Ukraine was producing a “dirty bomb.”

Disinformation NATO

UkraineAlert

May 27, 2022

South Ukraine holds the key to Putin’s dreams of a new Russian Empire

By Taras Kuzio

The biggest European battles since WWII are currently raging in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region but the ultimate outcome of the Russo-Ukrainian War is likely to be decided hundreds of miles to the south.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

May 24, 2022

Putin’s Mariupol Massacre is one of the 21st century’s worst war crimes

By Paul Niland

The Russian destruction of Mariupol ranks among the gravest crimes against humanity of the twenty-first century and sends a clear message to the international community that can be no compromise peace with Putin.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

May 24, 2022

The Putin puzzle: Why is the Russian dictator so obsessed with Ukraine?

By Bohdan Vitvitsky

Vladimir Putin has sought to justify his invasion of Ukraine by claiming the country has no right to exist but in reality modern Ukraine enjoys a level of democratic legitimacy that far exceeds his own authoritarian regime.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

May 21, 2022

Appeasement is the worst possible policy for both Ukraine and Russia

By Dennis Soltys

Western advocates of appeasement in Ukraine such as French President Emmanuel Macron fail to appreciate the deep-rooted imperial ambitions underpinning Vladimir Putin's campign to extinguish Ukrainian independence.

Conflict Democratic Transitions
Banner image: Incendiary weapons explode above the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine. (Source: @faceofwar/archive)

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2022

Russian War Report: Russian forces use incendiary munitions in Mariupol

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

New photo and video evidence suggests that the Russian military continues to use incendiary and cluster munitions against Ukrainian forces.

Disinformation Eastern Europe

Experts