Europe & Eurasia

Europe & Eurasia

Stretching from the shores of the Atlantic to the mountains of Central Asia, the European and Eurasian landmass contains both some of the most stable and wealthy countries in the world, as well as some of the poorest and those led by repressive regimes. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in 2022 has transformed the region’s security and launched economic, political, and defense issues into the global limelight, emphasizing the necessity of increased regional and transatlantic cooperation.

Explore

stay updated


Featured Reading

DIRECT TRANSLATION: Meet the Ex-Convicts, Bullies, and Armed Bikers Who Helped Seize Crimea

Inflection Points
Jun 26, 2026

Secretary General Mark Rutte on Trump, Europe, and the future of NATO

By
Frederick Kempe

Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe sits down with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington.

Europe & Eurasia
NATO

DIRECT TRANSLATION: Meet the Ex-Convicts, Bullies, and Armed Bikers Who Helped Seize Crimea

Dispatches
May 22, 2026

Washington’s latest force posture moves have Europeans feeling whiplash

By
Daniel Fried, Torrey Taussig

The announcement on sending US troops to Poland didn’t stop Washington’s other force posture decisions from generating concern among NATO allies.

Eastern Europe
Europe & Eurasia

DIRECT TRANSLATION: Meet the Ex-Convicts, Bullies, and Armed Bikers Who Helped Seize Crimea

Atlantic Council Strategy Paper Series
May 13, 2026

A US and allied strategy for Greenland

By
the Atlantic Council Task Force on Greenland

After US rhetoric about taking control of Greenland exacerbated tensions between Washington and European allies in January, the US, Greenland, and Denmark opened discussions about the US presence in the autonomous territory. In parallel, the Atlantic Council’s Task Force on Greenland brought together transatlantic expertise to explore the underlying issues and find a productive path forward.

Greenland
Northern Europe

featured events

Online Event
Thu, June 25, 2026 • 1:45 pm ET

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the Ankara summit agenda

AN AC FRONT PAGE EVENT—NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte lays out his priorities for the upcoming Ankara summit.

Europe & Eurasia
NATO
United States and Canada


Public Event
Wed, November 19, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

Intent to destroy: Confronting Russia’s campaign to erase Ukraine and its people

In this conference hosted by the Strategic Litigation Project and the Eurasia Center, experts will identify strategies to halt Russia’s campaign of atrocities against the Ukrainian people.

Civil Society
Conflict
Crisis Management
Security & Defense


The Russia Tomorrow series

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 challenged much of the common Western understanding of Russia. How can the world better understand Russia? What are the steps forward for Western policy? The Eurasia Center’s new “Russia Tomorrow” series seeks to reevaluate conceptions of Russia today and better prepare for its future tomorrow.

Read More

Russia Tomorrow

The CRINK: Inside the new bloc supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine

by Angela Stent

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series details how Russia’s war against Ukraine has brought together a new set of partners–united not by shared values, but by shared grievances–on the international stage: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

In-depth Research & reports

DIRECT TRANSLATION: Meet the Ex-Convicts, Bullies, and Armed Bikers Who Helped Seize Crimea

Russia Tomorrow
Dec 12, 2025

The Russian economy in 2025: Between stagnation and militarization 

By
Elina Ribakova, Lucas Risinger

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series examines the Russian wartime economy.

Economy & Business
Europe & Eurasia

DIRECT TRANSLATION: Meet the Ex-Convicts, Bullies, and Armed Bikers Who Helped Seize Crimea

Report
Jan 14, 2026

Digital sovereignty: Europe’s declaration of independence?

By
Frances Burwell, Kenneth Propp

In Brussels, “digital sovereignty” may be the new “strategic autonomy”: a push for Europe to go its own way and depend less on the United States. As US tech companies and EU regulators clash, catch up on a policy debate with consequences playing out online and in the halls of power.

Digital Policy
Economy & Business

programs

The Europe Center promotes the transatlantic leadership and strategies required to ensure a strong Europe.

EXPLORE THE PROGRAM

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.

EXPLORE THE PROGRAM

Within the Atlantic Council’s longstanding commitment to strengthening the transatlantic relationship, the Atlantic Council Turkey Program conducts research, provides thought leadership, and offers a platform for strategic dialogue between the US, Turkey, and NATO allies to address the region’s toughest challenges and explore opportunities, including in the fields of energy, business & trade, technology, defense, and security.

Learn more

Explore the Power Vertical podcast

The Power Vertical

The Power Vertical is a blog and podcast for Russia wonks and Kremlin watchers by Brian Whitmore. It covers emerging and developing trends in Russian politics, shining a spotlight on the high-stakes power struggles, machinations, and clashing interests that shape Kremlin policy today.

Explore the Debrief series

#AtlanticDebrief

#AtlanticDebrief hosts interviews with leading experts, policymakers, and newsmakers from both sides of the Atlantic to unpack the challenges and opportunities of the transatlantic relationship.

Explore the Series


#BalkansDebrief

The Atlantic Council Europe Center’s #BalkansDebrief series features timely conversations on key issues impacting the Western Balkans. Nonresident senior fellow Ilva Tare hosts newsmakers, experts, and officials for discussions on rule of law, energy security, cultural heritage, Russian and Chinese influence in the region, and more.

Explore the Series

Content

The newspaper Novaya Gazeta has published stories and photos of Russian volunteers -- including army veterans, armed motorbike club members and other nationalists -- whom the Kremlin secretly decorated for helping to seize Crimea from Ukraine. (www.novayagazeta.ru)

New Atlanticist

Jun 19, 2014

DIRECT TRANSLATION: Meet the Ex-Convicts, Bullies, and Armed Bikers Who Helped Seize Crimea

By Irena Chalupa

Putin Secretly Decorates Russian Volunteers Who Backed Moscow’s Troops in Takeover Russian President Vladimir Putin bestowed state honors in recent months on more than 300 Russians who it declared had done an outstanding job in helping Russia’s seizure from Ukraine of the Crimean peninsula. But the happy news has been kept strangely quiet. The official […]

Russia Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Jun 19, 2014

As Poroshenko Seeks Peace, His Main Interlocutor is Russia

By James Rupert

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is stepping up his attempt to negotiate an end to more than two months of fighting for control of eastern Ukraine, and his key dialogue in that effort will be with the Russian government.

Russia Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Jun 19, 2014

Storify: #FutureNATO with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen visited Washington, DC on June 19th and spoke at an Atlantic Council event on how best to secure Europe amid rapid change and turbulence.

Germany

New Atlanticist

Jun 19, 2014

Ukraine News Roundup | June 19

By Irena Chalupa

My Mind-Melting Week On The Battlefields Of Ukraine from New Republic Putin Is Just Getting Started In Ukraine from Daily Beast Russia ‘Using Words To Destroy Meaning’, Say Writers from Guardian Parts Of Eastern Ukraine Gripped In ‘Reign Of Fear’, Says U.N. Official from Wall Street Journal Putin To Russia: We Will Bury Ourselves from Newsweek No Illusions Left, I’m Leaving Russia from Moscow Times Why […]

Ukraine

In the News

Jun 18, 2014

Karatnycky on Separatists’ Call for Aid in Eastern Ukraine

By Adrian Karatnycky

The Wall Street Journal quotes Transatlantic Relations Program Nonresident Senior Fellow Adrian Karatnycky on how Ukraine’s recent offensive to retake control of areas in the country’s east has prompted pro-Russian separatists to call on Moscow for help:

Russia Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Jun 18, 2014

Disarm Russia’s Gas Weapon: Call Russia’s Bluff and Stem Ukraine’s Corruption

By Matthew J. Bryza

Europe Should Demand That Russia Sell Its Gas at One Basic Price for All EU States In a moment of friendly candor, one of Russia’s most senior diplomats once told me privately, “We Russian diplomats negotiate hard because we know we are weak.  When we have an issue on which we know we are strong, […]

Russia Ukraine
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen

NATOSource

Jun 17, 2014

German Defense Minister: ‘Russia Has Destroyed a Massive Amount of Trust’

SPIEGEL: So is the Ukraine crisis a case for defense policy?

Germany NATO

Event Recap

Jun 17, 2014

Estonian Chief of Defense Private Strategy Session

Since the inception of the Ukraine crisis, Estonia has played a critical role in enhancing security on NATO’s eastern border, including hosting a large-scale NATO exercise, STEADFAST JAVELIN 1, which tested allied forces on their ability to work together as well as maintaining NATO’s readiness and combat effectiveness.

Northern Europe
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk

NATOSource

Jun 17, 2014

Putin Has Exposed Divisions in Europe

By Matthew Kaminski, Wall Street Journal

To the east Russia is on the march. After a spike in violence over the weekend in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin on Monday cut gas exports to the country, using an economic cudgel to go with the military one.

Central Europe France
German Troops in Multinational Corps Northeast, Sept. 19, 2009

NATOSource

Jun 17, 2014

Is Germany’s Framework Nations Concept a ‘Substantial NATO Compromise?’

By Jan Techau, Carnegie Europe

Something is sprouting in Germany.

Germany NATO
Load More

Experts

Melinda Haring

Fellow

Melinda Haring

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

Ukraine Civil Society

Fellow

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

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia NATO

Staff

Melanie Hart

Senior Director, Global China Hub

Global China Hub

China Chinese

Fellow

Volodymyr Havrylov

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

Defense Policy English

Fellow

Annika Hedberg

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Climate Change & Climate Action Economy & Business

Fellow

Jacob Heilbrunn

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

Media Europe & Eurasia
Load More

Events

Flagship Event Fri, December 11, 2026 • 8:30 am ET

2026 Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics

The Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics is an annual flagship convening focused on issues at the nexus of economics, finance, foreign policy, and national security.
Digital Policy Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia European Union