Scowcroft Center Commentary, Analysis, & Reports

The evolution of Latvia’s defense and security policy in resilience building

By Armands Astukevičs and Elīna Vrobļevska

Latvia has embraced a broader concept of national resilience encompassing not only military strength but also the resilience of its society, the continuity of government and essential services during crises, the protection of critical infrastructure, and the cultivation of psychological defense among its populace.

Prioritizing Canada’s investment in Arctic infrastructure

By Jason C. Moyer

Canada’s new budget promises a “generational investment” in infrastructure, with a significant amount earmarked for Arctic dual-use infrastructure—improving Canada’s military presence in the north, accessing untapped critical mineral reserves, and offering new economic opportunities. But this is only the beginning of the region’s infrastructure needs.

How to equip Canada’s defense industrial base to meet NATO’s Hague summit commitments

By Jason C. Moyer

In 2025 Canada met NATO’s target of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense for the first time and committed to the new target of 5 percent by 2035, but its defense industrial base will struggle to deliver in its current state.

Is extending the New START limits in the US national security interest?

By Greg Weaver

This issue brief will ask and answer the question of whether extending the New START limits is in the US national security interest.

Nuclear priorities for the Trump administration: A time to decide

By Matthew Kroenig, Jonathan Rosenstein

This report offers recommendations to the Donald Trump administration for policy and investment decisions that will shape this new era of strategic competition in the United States’ favor.

Can US leaders convince Americans that Taiwan is worth fighting for?

By Phillip M. Ramirez

If elected leaders in the United States want to continue to deter Chinese military action, they must work to convince Beijing that Americans would be willing to fight for Taiwan.

South Korea and Europe are stepping up on security cooperation. Here’s why.

By David F. Helvey

The growing ties reflect a shared understanding that deterrence in the twenty-first century is global.

How Europe can strengthen its own defenses and rebalance transatlantic relations

Europe should advance a new security architecture aimed at strengthening its own defense while continuing to cooperate with the United States in areas of mutual interest.

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.

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.

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.

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?

The cost of an unjust peace in Ukraine? An emboldened China.

By Phillip M. Ramirez

A peace deal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine that favors Russia could embolden China to take military action of its own.

Experts react: What Trump’s National Security Strategy means for US foreign policy

By Atlantic Council experts

Atlantic Council experts delve into the newly released document outlining the Trump administration’s principles and priorities for US foreign policy.