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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Increasing defense spending isn’t enough. The US and its allies must also guarantee interoperability.

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
Increasing defense spending isn’t enough. The US and its allies must also guarantee interoperability.

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
Increasing defense spending isn’t enough. The US and its allies must also guarantee interoperability.

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

Dispatches

Jun 10, 2026

Increasing defense spending isn’t enough. The US and its allies must also guarantee interoperability.

By Joshua VerGow and Barry Pavel

Rising defense spending is creating a generational opportunity. But allied interoperability should be built into these new systems from the start.

Europe & Eurasia NATO
Cover Credit: NATO. German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons fly over a remote stretch of Iceland while training with the Swedish Air Force as part of NATO’s Arctic Sentry activity. Arctic Sentry is a NATO vigilance activity aimed at enhancing security in the north, helping to make the Alliance safer. As part of this initiative, Sweden deployed a detachment of six Gripens to Keflavik Air Base to safeguard Icelandic airspace against threats or intrusions. Their deployment is also part of NATO’s Iceland Air Policing mission, marking the first time Sweden has led an air policing mission since joining NATO two years ago as its 32nd member. During their deployment, fighters from the Royal Danish Air Force and the German Air Force joined them for integration training. Situated in the middle of the North Atlantic, Iceland plays a vital role in helping Allies maintain situational awareness in the High North. Photo courtesy of the German Air Force.

Report

Jun 10, 2026

The future of NATO’s deterrence in the air domain

By Edward Brady

European NATO member states need to prepare to deter, and if necessary, defeat Russia—with less US support. When it comes to airpower, here are the actions European states need to take in the short, medium, and long term. 

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Dispatches

Jun 10, 2026

From a gap to a chasm: Diverging US and Israeli interests in the war with Iran

By Daniel B. Shapiro

The once-modest gap between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump has widened in recent weeks.

Conflict Iran

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

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
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Experts

Fellow

Anca Agachi

Nonresident Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Africa Conflict

Fellow

Osamah Al Rawhani

Nonresident Senior Fellow

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

Middle East Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Fellow

Ibrahim Al-Assil

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Bisher Al-Khasawneh

Distinguished Fellow, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

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

Arabic Defense Policy

Fellow

Omar Al-Nidawi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Iraq Initiative Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Energy & Environment

Fellow

Alexander Alden

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Policy English
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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