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In-depth research & reports

Transatlantic Security Initiative

Issue Brief May 23, 2023

Providing long-term security for Ukraine: NATO membership and other security options

By Hans Binnendijk, Franklin D. Kramer

This issue brief evaluates membership and other security options for the alliance and its members to consider with regards to Ukraine, from formal actions by NATO as a whole to collective or individualized efforts by member nations.
Europe & Eurasia NATO
Transatlantic Security Initiative

Issue Brief Jul 10, 2023

We don’t really know which NATO allies are pulling their weight. Here’s how to fix that.

By John R. Deni

As NATO allies gather in Vilnius, there will be much discussion about burden-sharing and who’s living up to the 2014 Defense Investment Pledge. But exclusive statistical analysis by John R. Deni shows that spending more on defense doesn’t necessarily add up to contributing more to NATO missions.
Europe & Eurasia National Security
Transatlantic Security Initiative

Report Jun 15, 2023

US-China lessons from Ukraine: Fueling more dangerous Taiwan tensions

By John K. Culver, Sarah Kirchberger

The lessons that Washington and Beijing appear to be learning from Russia’s war against Ukraine could set the stage for a crisis over Taiwan in the next few years.
China Defense Industry
Transatlantic Security Initiative

Issue Brief Apr 11, 2023

Defining success for NATO’s Vilnius summit: A primer

By Charles Barry and Christopher Skaluba

A successful NATO summit in July requires significant progress on a host of NATO’s political and military priorities, especially those enumerated at Madrid.
Europe & Eurasia National Security
Transatlantic Security Initiative

Issue Brief Apr 18, 2023

NATO deterrence and defense: Military priorities for the Vilnius Summit

By Franklin D. Kramer

Ahead of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, this issue brief sets forth six priority actions that NATO should undertake to enhance its deterrent and defense posture.
Defense Technologies Europe & Eurasia
Transatlantic Security Initiative

Report Mar 16, 2023

The future of NATO C4ISR: Assessment and recommendations after Madrid

By Gordon B. “Skip” Davis Jr.

Current C4ISR capabilities, concepts, policies, and processes do not meet all of the Alliance’s needs. While much has been done to improve NATO C4ISR over the past decade, much work remains.
China Conflict
all in-depth research

Our pillars

Defense and deterrence in Europe

Developing policy recommendations for deterring and defending against Russian aggression aimed at allies and partners in the European theater.

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Emerging challenges to transatlantic security

Creating strategies to harness emerging and disruptive technologies to maintain NATO’s competitive advantage and cohering a transatlantic approach to hybrid threats from Russia and China.

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China and transatlantic security

Identifying areas of divergence and convergence between the United States and Europe with respect to China and proposing ideas to collectively counter China’s malign activities.

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NATO and the new south

Analyzing the security impacts of great power competition in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions and developing strategies to improve stabilization missions beyond Europe’s borders.

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Arctic security

Assessing the unique geopolitical and defense challenges of the High North to bridge perspectives between European and North American allies and partners on Arctic security issues.

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NATO in America

Identifying bold policy ideas that demonstrate the enduring value of NATO to US interests in order to engage a new community of American champions for the Alliance.

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Modernize the kit and the message

by H.E. Dame Karen Pierce DCMG

NATO will only remain successful over the next seventy years if it modernizes its capabilities, takes command of emerging technology, and harmonizes its strategic messaging.

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Open a bank

by Max Bergmann and Siena Cicarelli

NATO can fund critical defense investments by bringing the necessary financial tools in house.

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Design a Digital Marshall Plan

by the Hon. Ruben Gallego and the Hon. Vicky Hartzler

NATO allies, led by the United States, must cooperate in securing national 5G communications systems in Europe and beyond against malign Chinese influence.

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Rethink and replace two percent

by Derek Chollet, Steven Keil, and Christopher Skaluba

NATO’s two percent metric is reductive and politically fraught but offers lessons for better ways to measure burden sharing.

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Build an Atlantic-Pacific Partnership

by James Hildebrand, Harry W.S. Lee, Fumika Mizuno, Miyeon Oh, and Monica Michiko Sato

NATO is the only institution capable of organizing transatlantic and transpacific stakeholders to address China’s political, military, and information threats.

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Disband the NATO Response Force

by John R. Deni

Replacing the NRF with a plug-and-play interoperability model increases the chance that NATO will employ its high-readiness forces.

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Build resilience for an era of shocks

by Jim Townsend and Anca Agachi

NATO needs a fourth core task to protect allied populations from nontraditional threats like COVID and climate change.

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‘Game out’ decision making

by AM Sir Christopher Harper, KBE, RAF (Ret.)

In an era where the distinction between peace and conflict is increasingly complex, NATO should retain its competitive advantage by using synthetic environments and virtual worlds to support rapid, efficient, and effective strategic decision making.

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Digitalize the enterprise

by Jeffrey Reynolds and Jeffrey Lightfoot

If NATO is to unlock new frontiers of innovation and harness emerging technology, digitalizing how it does business is the key.

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Listen to women

by Lisa A. Aronsson

Twenty years after its creation, NATO should affirm the strategic significance of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda and define what it means for an era of great power competition.

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Ramp up on Russia

by Amb. Alexander Vershbow

NATO needs to increase the costs for Russian aggression while building back crucial dialogue if there is any prospect for improved relations with Moscow.

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Put NATO back in the narrative

by Bridget Corna and Livia Godaert

NATO can recapture the imagination of allied publics by telling its own story better and in new ways to new audiences.

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Seek membership for Mexico

by Christopher Skaluba and Gabriela R. A. Doyle

Mexico’s membership in NATO may be the key to keeping a rapidly changing America invested in European security.

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Supersize cyber

by Safa Shahwan Edwards, William Loomis, and Simon Handler

NATO should adopt a digital .2 percent policy whereby member states commit to spend .2 percent of their gross domestic product on cybersecurity and digital defense modernization.

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Christen a carrier strike group

by Michael John Williams

Using the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales as its backbone, a NATO carrier strike group is an opportunity for high-end interoperability under European leadership.

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End the Russian veto on Georgian accession

by Luke Coffey and Alexis Mrachek

Admitting Georgia to NATO without extending an Article 5 guarantee to Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region can fulfil the promise of the Bucharest Summit.

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Threaten decisive nuclear retaliation

by David Gompert and Hans Binnendijk

NATO should thwart Russian use of nuclear weapons by threatening certain retaliation.

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Revitalize NATO’s grand strategy

by Amb. Timo Koster and Ivanka Barzashka

Collective strategic analysis is the pathway to a more inclusive, transparent, and systematic process for creating NATO’s next strategic concept.

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Set NATO’s sights on the High North

by Jim Danoy and Marisol Maddox

Security in the Arctic is waiting on no one. NATO needs a strategy for defense and deterrence in the High North before it is outflanked.

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Reimagine the Washington Treaty

by Damon Wilson and Will O’Brien

Reexamining NATO’s founding charter can be an exercise in creating an Alliance fit for a new geopolitical era.

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Explore the podcast series

NATO 20/2020 Podcast

NATO 20/2020 is a weekly podcast that explores 20 bold ideas to push NATO to be more visionary, more capable, and more self-evidently valuable to the security of more people.
Transatlantic Security Initiative

Fast Thinking Jul 11, 2023

The NATO Summit’s underwhelming support for Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy didn’t get his biggest wish: a timeline for Ukrainian membership in NATO. Our experts are here to decode the communiqué and its ramifications.
Conflict Crisis Management
Transatlantic Security Initiative

Fast Thinking Jul 10, 2023

What’s behind Erdogan’s backing of Sweden’s NATO bid?

By Atlantic Council

Our experts on the ground in Vilnius and beyond share their insights on what changed Erdoğan’s mind and what’s next for the Alliance.
Conflict Crisis Management
Transatlantic Security Initiative

New Atlanticist Jul 7, 2023

The view from Vilnius: NATO needs speed and scale to ensure deterrence 

By Giedrimas Jeglinskas

The real test of the July 11-12 NATO Summit will be whether leaders take the opportunity to increase the Alliance’s deterrence.
Conflict Eastern Europe
Transatlantic Security Initiative

New Atlanticist Jun 27, 2023

Finland and Sweden’s NATO entries are a mixed blessing for the old Nordic allies

By Ann-Sofie Dahl

Denmark, Norway, and Iceland are delighted to see their two neighbors in NATO. But Finland and Sweden’s size and strategic importance could cause the old Nordics to be overshadowed in the Alliance.
Defense Policy Maritime Security
Transatlantic Security Initiative

New Atlanticist Jun 8, 2023

Restocking US and allies’ arsenals starts with getting industry involved at the NATO summit

By Giedrimas Jeglinskas and Viltaute Zarembaite

The upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius offers an opportunity for government officials and the defense industry to get on the same page about the true urgency of inadequate defense supply chains.
Central Europe Defense Industry
Transatlantic Security Initiative

New Atlanticist Mar 20, 2023

What NATO can do now to apply lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine

By John R. Deni

NATO should be setting higher defense targets for major European allies, exploring hybrid warfare, and more.
Conflict Crisis Management
all commentary & analysis

Employment opportunities

Staff Aug 3, 2023

Associate Director, Transatlantic Security Initiative
Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

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Team

Staff

Christopher Skaluba

Director

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Security & Defense

Fellow

Leah Scheunemann

Nonresident Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Security & Defense

Fellow

Anca Agachi

Nonresident Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Africa Conflict

Staff

Ryan Arick

Assistant Director

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Security & Defense

Staff

Joslyn Brodfuehrer

Assistant Director, Transatlantic Security Initiative

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

China Disinformation

Staff

Kimberly Talley

Program Assistant

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Security & Defense

Fellow

Viltaute Zarembaite

Visiting Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

China Eastern Europe

Fellow

Zelma Sergejeva

Visiting Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Arms Control Eastern Europe

Experts

Fellow

Anca Agachi

Nonresident Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Africa Conflict

Staff

Ryan Arick

Assistant Director

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Security & Defense

Fellow

Lisa Aronsson

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia NATO

Fellow

David Auerswald

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Jorge Benitez

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Anika Binnendijk

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Technologies Europe & Eurasia
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Content

New Atlanticist

Nov 6, 2023

How to keep NATO relevant into 2024 and beyond

By Giedrimas Jeglinskas, Zelma Sergejeva

As the 2024 Washington Summit gets closer, allies should stand up for freedom, ensure continuous support to Ukraine, and credibly boost their defense spending and capabilities.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

New Atlanticist

Nov 2, 2023

NATO needs a plan for military and nonmilitary instruments of power to work together

By Ann Marie Dailey

The Alliance's planning must include nonmilitary parts of government as well as the private sector to reflect the realities of modern warfare.

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

In the News

Oct 31, 2023

Feldman-Piltch in Non-State Actress on definition of terrorism and its application in the US, addressing case of Hamas

By Maggie Feldman-Piltch

On October 31, Transatlantic Security Initiative nonresident senior fellow Maggie Feldman-Piltch wrote the latest edition of her project “Non-State Actress,” which provides a brief overview of the definition of a terrorist organization, act, and individual and how the additional requirements of designation are met and applied in the United States, addressing case of Hamas.

Europe & Eurasia Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 27, 2023

NATO’s greatest advantage over adversaries is its network of allies and industry partners. Here’s how to use it.

By Joslyn Brodfuehrer

Government officials and defense industry leaders meeting this month mapped out the opportunities available to accelerate defense and technology cooperation between NATO allies.

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

Report

Oct 26, 2023

Continued US and allied integration is essential to deter Russian CBRN use

By Natasha Lander Finch, Ryan Arick, Christopher Skaluba

This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Atlantic Council project Conceptualizing Integrated Deterrence to Address Russian Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Escalation. The objective of this project was to develop an approach for incorporating European allies and partners into the US model of integrated deterrence against Russian CBRN use.

Arms Control Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Oct 19, 2023

As NATO grows, it needs new ways to expedite its decisions

By Ira Straus

A widening of the bloc requires a deepening of its decision-making procedures. Here are some ways to avoid a single-member veto of big decisions.

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Sep 20, 2023

Makanju featured in Fast Company on generative AI technology

By Anna Makanju

On September 11, Fast Company published a story about Transatlantic Security Initiative’s nonresident senior fellow Anna Makanju and her efforts as vice president of global affairs for OpenAI. The article explores how Makanju has advocated for the benefits of generative AI and possible applications for public policy, while partnering with government institutions to alleviate potential […]

Defense Technologies Europe & Eurasia
U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 19, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

New Atlanticist

Sep 19, 2023

With the UN General Assembly underway, keep freedom at the forefront

By Nina Dannaoui, James Storen

Data from the Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Indexes show that freedom is both present and actively pursued all over the world.

Africa Americas

New Atlanticist

Sep 15, 2023

The pathway to NATO’s ‘2/20’ goal is through real growth of defense spending

By Wayne Schroeder

Next year’s NATO Summit in Washington is a golden opportunity for the Alliance to endorse a defense real growth pathway to its “2/20” guideline.

Defense Policy National Security

Issue Brief

Sep 6, 2023

Alternative security futures in the High North

By David Auerswald

Climate change, combined with increasing geopolitical competition and hostilities, has focused renewed attention on national security interests in the Arctic. By 2035, how will those variables combine to influence the High North?

China Climate Change & Climate Action
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Events

Public Event Tue, December 5, 2023 • 11:00 am ET

A conversation with the Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Sweden Pål Jonson
Conflict Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia NATO