Security & Defense

Security & Defense

One of the most fundamental responsibilities of governments is to protect their citizens from all threats, internal or foreign. Policy makers must prepare for potential conventional warfare, terrorism and other asymmetrical attacks, and the repercussions of natural disasters and climate change to ensure the safety of their citizens. The motivation to protect against future threats must also be partnered with regular dialogue and partnership with allies and neighbors to prevent the triggering of violent conflict or destabilizing arms races.

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US Energy Secretary Chris Wright: It will take ‘many months’ to get back to normal after this energy crisis

MENASource Aug 25, 2024

After a failed attack, Hezbollah’s propaganda seeks to prevent a wider war with Israel

By David Daoud

Committed as Hezbollah is to saving its Gaza-based allies, the group does not currently want a full war with Israel.
Conflict Israel
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright: It will take ‘many months’ to get back to normal after this energy crisis

New Atlanticist Aug 21, 2024

How quickly can Taiwan integrate US weapon systems? Speed is essential to help deter China.

By Adam Kozloski

To better prepare Taiwan to defend itself, the United States needs more transparency into Taipei’s weapons integration challenges.
Conflict Defense Policy
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright: It will take ‘many months’ to get back to normal after this energy crisis

UkraineAlert Aug 21, 2024

Invasion? What invasion? Putin is downplaying Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin’s efforts to downplay Ukraine’s invasion of Russia have severely dented his strongman image and make a mockery of the West’s escalation fears, writes Peter Dickinson.
Conflict Defense Policy

Programs

The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and the world.

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Content

EnergySource

Jun 9, 2026

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright: It will take ‘many months’ to get back to normal after this energy crisis

By Katherine Golden

At the tenth annual Global Energy Forum, Wright said that “the price” of this crisis “will be wildly worth paying,” if it means that Iran eventually ceases to be “a constant threat to its neighbors."

Conflict Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Jun 9, 2026

Ukrainian civilians face new threat from Russia’s upgraded jet drones

By David Kirichenko

Russia has reportedly begun deploying a new generation of jet-powered strike drones against Ukrainian targets in recent weeks as the Kremlin seeks to counter the growing effectiveness of Ukraine’s interceptor drones, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jun 9, 2026

Countries across Russia’s former empire are reclaiming place names to assert identity

By Joseph Epstein

Ukraine's campaign to strip Soviet and Russian imperial place names from the country’s towns and cities is not a reaction to the current war so much as the leading edge of a region-wide rejection of Moscow's cartography, writes Joseph Epstein.

Central Asia Civil Society

Dispatches

Jun 9, 2026

NATO allies need a plan for addressing threats below the threshold of war

By Elisabeth Braw

NATO can gather allies to share best practices and also coordinate responses, even if the Alliance does not respond to subthreshold attacks itself.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

UkraineAlert

Jun 8, 2026

The Ukraine Support Act sends a strong signal even if it won’t send weapons

By Leslie Shedd

As momentum in the Russia-Ukraine War shifts in Kyiv’s favor, the US Congress took a tentative step last week toward rewarding Ukraine’s progress with much-needed weapons for their troops and support for the country, writes Leslie Shedd.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

In the News

Jun 8, 2026

Saab published in the Financial Times on Gulf support for Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

On June 4, Forward Defense non-resident senior fellow Bilal Saab published an article in the Financial Times, discussing the benefit of a counter-drone defense partnership between the Gulf states and Ukraine. He argues this partnership would benefit Gulf states by integrating advanced Ukrainian drone defense technology into existing systems and provide Ukraine with much-needed capital.  

Defense Policy Security & Defense

Issue Brief

Jun 5, 2026

Countering terrorist propaganda in the age of AI

By Danielle Cosgrove, Doug Livermore, Erin K. McFee, Morgan Tadych, Timothy “Tito” Torres

More people are being exposed to violent propaganda online, and the time between seeing such content, recruitment by a terrorist organization, and action is getting shorter. Counter-terrorism today thus must mean limiting the spread of terrorist content.

Artificial Intelligence Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2026

Ukraine just showed the whole world that Putin is losing control of the war

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine's audacious drone strike on St. Petersburg as the Russian city hosted a flagship international economic forum known as "Putin's Davos" sent a clear signal to global audiences that the Kremlin dictator is losing control of the war, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

MENASource

Jun 4, 2026

تفتت الفصائل المسلحة العراقية بعد تحول النظام الإيراني من الثيوقراطية الى الجنتوقراطية

By Munqith Dagher

كيف يؤثر تغيير القيادة في ايران على الميليشيات العراقية؟ د. منقذ داغر يبدو اننا بتنا ، بعد 28 فبراير 2026 ،امام نظام مختلف وظيفياً، بل وحتى هيكلياً عما عرفناه طوال السنوات السبعة وأربعين من عمر النظام الايراني. فقد اتسم نظام الحكم في ايران بنسخته الخمينية الأولى 1979-1989  بأحادية قطبية لا مكان فيها سوى للمرشد الأعلى(الخميني). […]

Arabic Conflict

UkraineAlert

Jun 4, 2026

Europe cannot afford to leave Ukraine trapped in the geopolitical grey zone

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Europe cannot afford to leave Ukraine stuck in the geopolitical grey zone as this uncertainty fuels Russia's invasion and feeds Putin's dreams of a new Russian Empire, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Drones
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Experts

Fellow

Nasredeen Abdulbari

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Project for Middle East Integration

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Africa Arabic

Fellow

Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley

Distinguished Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Middle East National Security

Fellow

Ahmed Aboudouh

Former Nonresident Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Arabic China

Fellow

Elliot Ackerman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Policy

Fellow

Nic Adams

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Energy & Environment Middle East

Fellow

Paul Adamson

Senior Advisor

Europe Center

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
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Events

Public Event Mon, June 15, 2026 • 12:30 pm ET

How should the United States counter Russia and China’s hybrid warfare?
China East Asia Eastern Europe Europe & Eurasia
Public Event Wed, June 17, 2026 • 3:30 pm ET

Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis on the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara

AN AC FRONT PAGE EVENT—The Atlantic Council is hosting Senators Shaheen and Tillis for a conversation on the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.
Europe & Eurasia NATO Security & Defense