Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe

After the implosion of the Soviet Union, fifteen former republics became independent states and began—in one form or another—the transition from the authoritarian economic and political regime. While the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have completed a successful transition to open societies and market economies, the other states are either stuck on their progress path or headed off in an authoritarian direction.

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issue spotlight

Europe in crisis

War in Ukraine

Experts from across the Atlantic Council are assessing the consequences of Russia’s February 2022 invasion, including what it means for Ukraine’s sovereignty, Europe’s security, and the United States’ leadership.

More on the war
View UkraineAlert

Between Trump and Putin: A Way Ahead for Georgia

Inflection Points
Oct 22, 2026

Trump will define his legacy through Russia—one way or the other

The US president inherited Russia’s war on Ukraine, but he will own the consequences of how it ends.

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Between Trump and Putin: A Way Ahead for Georgia

Russia Tomorrow
Oct 7, 2026

The deterrence gap: How can NATO protect its front line from Russia? 

By
Agnia Grigas

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series assesses Russia’s threats to NATO’s eastern flank and evaluates the responses of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania.

Crisis Management
Cybersecurity

Between Trump and Putin: A Way Ahead for Georgia

UkraineAlert
Aug 27, 2026

Ukrainians are not superheroes with endless powers of resilience

By
Lauren Van Metre, Elena Davlikanova

By celebrating Ukrainian resilience as an almost superhuman quality, the international community risks obscuring the much less glamorous reality that Ukrainians are actually ordinary people who have endured extraordinary violence for far too long, write Lauren Van Metre and Elena Davlikanova.

Civil Society
Conflict

Events

Public Event
Fri, February 28, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

Book launch: No Country for Love

Eastern Europe
Europe & Eurasia
Resilience
Resilience & Society

Online Event
Tue, February 4, 2025 • 3:00 pm ET

A conversation with Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan

Eastern Europe
Europe & Eurasia
Politics & Diplomacy
Resilience & Society

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The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2016

Between Trump and Putin: A Way Ahead for Georgia

By Alexandra Hall Hall

The election which mattered most for Georgia was not the one that returned the incumbent Georgian Dream party to power last month, but the one that took place in the United States last week. Georgia’s leaders were swift to congratulate President-elect Donald Trump and express confidence in the US-Georgian relationship. But privately, they may harbor […]

The Caucasus

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2016

Why Georgia Deserves More Love from the EU, NATO, and the US

By Eka Gigauri

On November 11, Mikheil Saakashvili stole the show again. After resigning from his post as regional governor of Odesa oblast in Ukraine, he vowed to build a new political party and called for early parliamentary elections there. While Saakashvili dominates the news cycle and pundits continue to examine his every move, it’s worth taking a […]

The Caucasus

In the News

Nov 8, 2016

Herbst Quoted by Accent on Hillary Clinton’s Support for Ukraine and Georgia

By John Herbst

Read the full article here.

The Caucasus Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Nov 4, 2016

Dealing with Putin

By Ashish Kumar Sen

As presidential nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have taken divergent views of Russia and its relationship with the United States. Clinton, a Democrat who as secretary of state presented a big red “reset” button to her Russian counterpart in 2009, has taken a hawkish view of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Trump, on the other hand, […]

NATO Russia

In the News

Nov 1, 2016

Cohen Joins Rustavi 2 to Discuss Us-Georgia Relations

By Ariel Cohen

Listen to the full discussion here.

The Caucasus

New Atlanticist

Oct 28, 2016

Moldova at a Crossroad

By Michael Getto

Moldova will hold a historic presidential election on October 30 that could determine whether this country of less than three million tilts toward Europe or Russia. It is Moldova’s first presidential election in twenty years in which voters will get to directly decide the outcome. In March, a court ruled unconstitutional a revision of the […]

Moldova

Defense Industrialist

Oct 27, 2016

How late is too late for new weapons?

By James Hasik

The Pentagon’s drive for innovation is up against adversaries’ efforts to “occupy leading positions” themselves. Back at the beginning of August, I wrote an essay about how soon was too soon with new weapons. Some historical perspective, I thought, should inform the aims of the Pentagon’s Third Offset strategy. And yet, to focus a moment on […]

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

In the News

Oct 18, 2016

Linderman Interviewed by VOA Georgia on Elections in Georgia

By Laura Linderman

Read the full article here.

The Caucasus

In the News

Oct 17, 2016

Linderman Interviewed by Democracy & Freedom Watch on Georgia’s Parliamentary Elections and Its Future

By Laura Linderman

Read the full article here.

The Caucasus

Event Recap

Oct 13, 2016

The illiberal turn: Reasserting democratic values in Central and Eastern Europe

By Susan Haigh, Amelie Rausing

On October 13, 2016, the Atlantic Council’s Future Europe Initiative and Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center hosted a public conference “The Illiberal Turn?: Reasserting Democratic Values in Central and Eastern Europe.” This conference was organized in partnership with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), […]

Central Europe Civil Society
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Experts

Fellow

Anca Agachi

Nonresident Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Africa Conflict

Staff

Nika Aleksejeva

Resident Fellow, Baltics

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus Disinformation

Fellow

Andrew Bernard

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

NATO Europe & Eurasia

Millennium fellow

Cynthia Bernstein

Program Director, Commercial, Advisory and Knowledge Initiatives, Spencer Stuart International

Global Leadership Center

Eastern Europe Entrepreneurship

Staff

Eto Buziashvili

Research Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Disinformation Eastern Europe

Expert bio

MaryKay Carlson

Distinguished Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Africa East Asia
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