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.

Content

Report

Dec 12, 2025

Inside Trump’s peace plans  

By Atlantic Council experts

From Rwanda to Cambodia, US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts mix economic pressure, trade deals, and high-profile ceremonies. His unorthodox style produces rapid results—but can it achieve lasting peace?

Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo

Issue Brief

Dec 12, 2025

It’s all about Hamas’s disarmament

By Daniel B. Shapiro

A US-brokered cease-fire ended the Israel-Hamas war, but the next phase depends on the group’s disarmament. Until that happens, Gaza’s reconstruction, regional diplomacy, and political future hang in the balance.

Israel Middle East

Issue Brief

Dec 12, 2025

In Southeast Asia, the promise and pitfalls of tariff diplomacy are on full display 

By Amy Searight

US President Donald Trump’s high-profile intervention in the Thai-Cambodian border dispute delivered a cease-fire, but its violation exposes the fragility of tariff diplomacy and raises questions about the durability of coercive US diplomacy in the region.

Indo-Pacific Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

Issue Brief

Dec 12, 2025

From the DRC to Sudan, Trump’s disruptive moves could revive stalled negotiations

By Maureen Farrell

Across Africa, US President Donald Trump’s unorthodox diplomacy is unsettling old patterns—reviving talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and injecting new momentum into Sudan mediation. The gains may be fragile, but the openings are real.

Africa East Africa

In the News

Dec 12, 2025

Kroenig quoted in NPR on President Trump’s peace deals

On December 12, Atlantic Council vice president and Scowcroft Center senior director Matthew Kroenig was quoted in an article in NPR titled “Trump touts his peace deals – but many are already unraveling.” He argues the President’s unconventional negotiation style has yielded some notable successes.

Crisis Management Politics & Diplomacy

The Big Story

Dec 11, 2025

Bosnia’s forgotten war is still with us

By Thom Shanker

Fewer than fifty years after the end of World War II, genocide returned to Europe in Bosnia. The carnage ended on December 14, 1995, with the signing of the US-brokered Dayton Accords. Thirty years on, have the war's lessons—for Europe; for diplomacy, humanitarian intervention, and more—been heeded?

Conflict NATO

Podcast

Dec 11, 2025

“Youth as merchandise”: Iraqi mercenaries in Ukraine

By Alia Brahimi

In Season 2, Episode 13 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi is joined by the Iraqi political analyst Mohammed Salih to discuss the legion of Iraqi men turning up on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine.

Iraq Middle East

In the News

Dec 11, 2025

Kroenig in Foreign Policy on the National Security Strategy

On December 11, Atlantic Council vice president and Scowcroft Center senior director Matthew Kroenig published an article in Foreign Policy titled “Two Cheers for the National Security Strategy.” In the article, Kroenig lays out the strengths and weaknesses of the NSS and places it in a broader strategic context.

Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Dec 11, 2025

Russia’s insistence on a defenseless Ukraine betrays Putin’s true intentions

By Peter Dickinson

Russia's key demands during US-led peace talks all appear designed to leave Ukraine disarmed and defenseless. This is a clear indication of Vladimir Putin's intention to continue his invasion and complete the conquest of Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Dec 10, 2025

Wieslander in New York Times

Director for Northern Europe, Anna Wieslander, featured in the New York Times on Wednesday December 10 on the challenges to Europe’s security. Wieslander underlines that Ukraine is Europe’s first line of defense against Russia but explains that “we don’t follow through on what that means and what it costs”. The frozen Russian assets are essential […]

Defense Policy Northern Europe

Experts

Events