Americas

The countries of the Western Hemisphere have been closely connected economically, politically, and socially for most of their modern existence. Growing trade links, increased migrant and refugee flows, internal challenges of corruption and crime, and spillover from failed states are making these connections more important and require closer cooperation between governments and societies to maintain stability, address common challenges, and maximize prosperity across all of the Americas

Content

Issue Brief

Mar 19, 2026

Federal agencies under pressure need smarter systems, not tougher people

By Caitlin Thompson

Resilience is an important trait for national security practitioners, but it is not a solution for problems with agency and department design. Better systems and strategies can ensure that individuals are fully prepared and ready to respond to crises, rather than consistently under strain.

National Security Resilience

UkraineAlert

Mar 19, 2026

Putin is counting on Western disunity to hand him victory in Ukraine

By Mykola Bielieskov

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been unable to defeat the Ukrainians on the battlefield but he remains confident that Western disunity will ultimately hand him victory in Ukraine, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict European Union

Dispatches

Mar 18, 2026

Six strategic risks the Trump administration should evaluate in the Iran war

By Nathan Freier

Risk assessments often boil down to one question: What is the likelihood that the chosen approach will deliver the desired outcomes at acceptable cost?

Conflict Iran

Dispatches

Mar 18, 2026

Europe should help in the Gulf to serve its own interests, regardless of Trump’s demands

By Daniel Fried, Jörn Fleck

European leaders have plenty of reasons to engage constructively with the United States and partners in the Middle East.

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

Inflection Points

Mar 18, 2026

Now that the Iran war is here, the US must complete its mission

By Frederick Kempe

The US-Israeli operation in Iran is a historic opportunity to neutralize the Middle East’s greatest destabilizer over the past four decades.

Conflict Iran

UkraineAlert

Mar 17, 2026

The Iran war is good for the Russian economy but bad for Putin’s prestige

By Maksym Beznosiuk, Will Dixon

From Armenia and Syria to Venezuela and Iran, Moscow’s inability since 2022 to aid its allies in times of crisis has seriously damaged Russia’s reputation as a global power, write Maksym Beznosiuk and Will Dixon.

Conflict Geopolitics & Energy Security

In the News

Mar 14, 2026

Kroenig quoted in The Atlantic on Trump’s foreign policy

By Atlantic Council

On March 13, Atlantic Council vice president and Scowcroft Center senior director Matthew Kroenig was quoted in The Atlantic about Trump's foreign policy.

Politics & Diplomacy United States and Canada

Dispatches

Mar 13, 2026

Chinese narratives around Anthropic highlight contradictions for the US

By Kenton Thibaut

Commentators in Chinese state media outlets have seized on the dispute between Anthropic and the Pentagon to make larger critiques of US tech governance.

China Defense Technologies

In the News

Mar 13, 2026

Charai for The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune: JD Vance and the Strategic Logic of Trump’s Foreign Policy

By Atlantic Council

Americas Middle East

Dispatches

Mar 12, 2026

To succeed, Trump’s Shield of the Americas should focus on institutions as well as cartels

By Henrique Arevalo Poincot

The strongest defense is a hemisphere where institutions are resilient enough to resist and dismantle criminal networks.

Americas Central America

Experts

Events