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Featured Reading

The real reason Russia invaded Ukraine (hint: it’s not NATO expansion)

New Atlanticist Apr 21, 2025

Four contests for democracy in Europe challenge the narrative of advancing authoritarianism

By Daniel Fried

In Georgia, Hungary, Serbia, and Turkey, pro-democracy demonstrators are taking to the streets in massive numbers. But how long will the upsurge last?
Democratic Transitions Europe & Eurasia
The real reason Russia invaded Ukraine (hint: it’s not NATO expansion)

New Atlanticist Mar 17, 2025

Enough carrots for Putin. For better negotiations, serve ‘maximum pressure’ instead.

By Benjamin L. Schmitt, Richard L. Morningstar, and Daniel Fried

Since Russia appears content for negotiations to move slowly, the Trump administration should turn up the pressure with new sanctions.
Conflict Economic Sanctions
The real reason Russia invaded Ukraine (hint: it’s not NATO expansion)

Issue Brief Mar 5, 2025

The EU must become a strategic player in defense—alongside NATO

By Justina Budginaite-Froehly

The European Union and NATO need renewed alignment on defense to meet the new geopolitical moment. Refocused cooperation would provide a critically needed burden sharing to eliminate vulnerabilities and prepare Europe to withstand new realities.
Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

featured events

Online Event Thu, March 20, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

The future of EU defense

Following the release of the European Union’s whitepaper on the future of European defense, an expert panel unpacks what role the EU should play in transatlantic security.
Europe & Eurasia European Union NATO Security & Defense
Online Event Tue, February 18, 2025 • 11:30 am ET

How long can Russia sustain its aggression in Ukraine?

The Eurasia Center discusses how the confluence of Russia’s war of attrition, economic decline, and energy damage impact the Russian Federation and its global standing.
Conflict Economic Sanctions Europe & Eurasia International Markets

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 reluctant consensus: War and Russia’s public opinion

by Maria Snegovaya

A new Atlantic Council report explores Russian society’s consolidation around the Kremlin and the Russian public’s perception of Putin’s war on Ukraine.

In-depth Research & reports

The real reason Russia invaded Ukraine (hint: it’s not NATO expansion)

Report Mar 3, 2025

The art of the transatlantic deal

By Frances Burwell

The transatlantic relationship is shifting with US president Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Nevertheless, discreet deals across the US-EU trade, energy, and defense sectors are possible.
Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
The real reason Russia invaded Ukraine (hint: it’s not NATO expansion)

Report Jun 7, 2024

Reconstructing Ukraine at war: The journey to prosperity starts now

By John E. Herbst, Olga Khakova, Charles Lichfield

Rebuilding the Ukrainian economy after Russia’s full-scale invasion will be a monumental task. Reconstruction can’t wait for peace and must be a well-coordinated, inclusive process.
Economy & Business Energy & Environment

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

The Atlantic Council in Turkey aims to promote and strengthen transatlantic engagement with the region by providing a high-level forum and pursuing programming to address the most important issues on energy, economics, security, and defense.

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

New Atlanticist

Mar 6, 2025

The real reason Russia invaded Ukraine (hint: it’s not NATO expansion)

By Andrew A. Michta

Russia invaded Ukraine not because of NATO expansion, but because the West failed to back up Europe’s post-Cold War security architecture with hard power.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

UkraineAlert

Mar 5, 2025

Prospect of peace talks sparks fresh debate over Russia’s frozen assets

By Ivan Horodyskyy

US President Donald Trump's efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine are sparking fresh debate over the fate of $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, writes Ivan Horodyskyy.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

In the News

Mar 5, 2025

Luetkefend co-authors essay with Army War College focused on Germany’s foreign policy shift since 2022

On February 27, Theresa Luetkefend, an Assistant Director in the Forward Defense program, co-authored an essay with Jeff Rathke, the President of the American-German Institute, through the US Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute. Luetkefend’s essay, titled “The International Dimension: NATO, the EU, and Multinational Cooperation,” was featured in a broader report called Assessing the […]

English Europe & Eurasia
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen give a statement before a meeting with EU Commissioners in Brussels, Belgium, January 11, 2023.REUTERS/Johanna Geron

Issue Brief

Mar 5, 2025

The EU must become a strategic player in defense—alongside NATO

By Justina Budginaite-Froehly

The European Union and NATO need renewed alignment on defense to meet the new geopolitical moment. Refocused cooperation would provide a critically needed burden sharing to eliminate vulnerabilities and prepare Europe to withstand new realities.

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Mar 5, 2025

How Europe wants to rearm itself

By Piotr Arak

Ahead of an important European Union (EU) meeting on March 6, plans are in development at both the EU and member state levels to boost defense spending.

Conflict Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Mar 5, 2025

Experts react: What Trump’s address to Congress means for the world

By Atlantic Council experts

In his address to Congress, the “America first” president mapped out his administration’s high points and hopes from Greenland and Ukraine to Taiwan, Panama, and Mexico.

Mexico Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Mar 4, 2025

Europe has the resources to defend itself and back Ukraine against Russia

By Agnia Grigas

By leveraging its economic strength, demographic advantage, and military potential, Europe can confidently counter Putin’s imperial ambitions and provide Ukraine with the support it needs to resist Russia’s invasion, writes Agnia Grigas.

Conflict Defense Industry

Issue Brief

Mar 4, 2025

Making AUKUS work: The case for an Indo-Pacific defense innovation consortium

By Elliot Silverberg, Jacob Sharpe, and Rob Murray

The AUKUS partnership, focused on defense innovation in the Indo-Pacific, faces challenges in technology-sharing due to regulations like ITAR and EAR. The proposed Indo-Pacific Strategic Partnership for Accelerated Research and Knowledge in Defense (SPARK) aims to overcome these barriers, fostering faster co-development and co-production of advanced defense technologies

Australia Defense Industry

TURKEYSource

Mar 3, 2025

The impact of the PKK leader’s call to disarm will depend on how regional power balances unfold

By Evren Balta

Whether this is truly the beginning of a historic resolution on the Kurdish question will depend on how regional alliances and power balances unfold.

Conflict Middle East

Report

Mar 3, 2025

The art of the transatlantic deal

By Frances Burwell

The transatlantic relationship is shifting with US president Donald Trump's return to the White House. Nevertheless, discreet deals across the US-EU trade, energy, and defense sectors are possible.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
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Experts

Fellow

Paul Adamson

Senior Advisor

Europe Center

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

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

Léonie Allard

Visiting Fellow

Europe Center

Africa Chinese

Millennium fellow

Kirk Allen

Digital Communications Lead, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Millennium Leadership Program

Middle East NATO Partnerships

Fellow

Paolo Alli

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Eastern Europe English
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Events

Online Event Fri, May 16, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

Lucian Kim on “Putin’s Revenge” and Russia’s war on Ukraine
Europe & Eurasia Human Rights Politics & Diplomacy Ukraine
Public Event Mon, May 19, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

US-Latvia Resilience Conference
Europe & Eurasia Resilience & Society Security & Defense
Flagship Event Tue, September 30, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

2025 Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics

The Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics is an annual conference convening economic and financial leaders from both sides of the Atlantic.
Digital Policy Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia European Union