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Featured Reading

Semtex teddy bear: The mercenary build-up in Libya

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
Semtex teddy bear: The mercenary build-up in Libya

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
Semtex teddy bear: The mercenary build-up in Libya

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

Semtex teddy bear: The mercenary build-up in Libya

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
Semtex teddy bear: The mercenary build-up in Libya

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

Podcast

Aug 24, 2023

Semtex teddy bear: The mercenary build-up in Libya

By Alia Brahimi

Host and Nonresident Senior Fellow Alia Brahimi speaks with Libya expert Emadeddin Badi about tthe surge of African, Syrian and Russian mercenaries in Libya since 2019.

Conflict Crisis Management

Report

Aug 24, 2023

The global future of nuclear energy

By Matt Bowen

Nuclear energy could play a larger global role in addressing growing energy demands while reducing the risks of climate change and air pollution.

Americas Energy & Environment

UkraineAlert

Aug 23, 2023

Putin’s Russia is trapped in genocidal denial over Ukrainian independence

By Mercedes Sapuppo

Russia’s longstanding denial of Ukrainian national identity and refusal to accept the reality of Ukrainian independence are now fueling an invasion that many view as genocidal in nature, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Aug 23, 2023

Ukraine’s fight against Russian imperialism is Europe’s longest independence struggle

By Peter Dickinson

The war unleashed by Vladimir Putin eighteen months ago is best understood as the latest chapter in a dark saga of Russian imperial aggression against Ukraine that stretches back centuries, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Democratic Transitions

Fast Thinking

Aug 23, 2023

What Prigozhin’s plane crash tells us about Putin’s Russia

By Atlantic Council

Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the apparent death of Wagner Group founder Yevgeniy Prigozhin.

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Aug 23, 2023

Experts react: What the Prigozhin plane crash reveals about Putin, the Wagner Group’s future, and the war in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council experts

Experts weigh in on what the mercenary leader's apparent death will mean for the Russian state and Wagner's operations abroad.

Belarus China

In the News

Aug 23, 2023

Dahl featured in Omni, discussing the Danish response to the recent Quran burnings in Sweden and Kremlins response

By Ann-Sofie Dahl

On August 23, Transatlantic Security Initiative nonresident senior fellow Ann-Sofie Dahl was mentioned in Omni, discussing the Danish response to the recent Quran burnings in Sweden and how the Kremlin has reacted to these developments (text in Swedish).   

Northern Europe Russia

Issue Brief

Aug 23, 2023

The case for seizing Putin regime assets

By Kristina Hook and Yonah Diamond

A coordinated asset-seizure program connected to Russian aggression and atrocities can build international consensus—increasing the effectiveness of economic responses to Russia's war, eighteen months in.

Economic Sanctions International Financial Institutions

AfricaSource

Aug 23, 2023

Piece by piece, the BRICS really are building a multipolar world

By Hippolyte Fofack

Coming out of the Johannesburg summit, the BRICS group has the potential to accelerate the process of dedollarization and the transition to a multipolar world.

Brazil China

In the News

Aug 23, 2023

Tran quoted by NBC News on BRICS’ efforts to diminish USD dominance

Read the full article here.

Brazil China
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Experts

Fellow

Yarely Madrid

Nonresident Journalist Fellow

Global China Hub

China Latin America

Staff

Iryna Adam

Research Associate

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Eastern Europe English

Staff

Melanie Hart

Senior Director, Global China Hub

Global China Hub

China Chinese

Fellow

Danuta Hübner

Distinguished Fellow

Europe Center

Democratic Transitions Economy & Business

Fellow

Dominika Kunertova

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Artificial Intelligence Central Europe

Fellow

Vytautas Leškevičius

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Arms Control Crisis Management
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Events

Online Event Tue, May 6, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

What to expect from Germany’s next government
Elections Europe & Eurasia European Union Germany
Public Event Tue, May 6, 2025 • 12:30 pm ET

Belgium’s defense minister on Europe’s evolving security landscape
Europe & Eurasia NATO Security & Defense Western Europe
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
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