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Featured Reading

Maximizing US foreign aid for strategic competition

New Atlanticist May 27, 2025

Do Trump’s criticisms of Putin mark a turning point in his Russia policy?

By John E. Herbst

On Sunday, the US president called his Russian counterpart “crazy” on social media, revealing an increasing impatience with Russia over its unwillingness to engage in US-led cease-fire talks.
Conflict Politics & Diplomacy
Maximizing US foreign aid for strategic competition

Report May 20, 2025

The European Union Growth Plan for the Western Balkans: A reality test for EU enlargement

By Valbona Zeneli, Richard Grieveson, Isabelle Ioannides, Dimitar Bechev

EU enlargement faces a test case in the Western Balkans. The current plan offers real benefits before accession, creating incentives for reform, but questions of enforceability and the relatively low amount of financial support threaten the success of the EU’s political influence in the region.
Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
Maximizing US foreign aid for strategic competition

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

Unpacking Russia’s cyber nesting doll

by Justin Sherman

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series explores Russia’s wartime cyber operations and broader cyber web.

In-depth Research & reports

Maximizing US foreign aid for strategic competition

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
Maximizing US foreign aid for strategic competition

Russia Tomorrow Dec 17, 2024

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.
Civil Society Europe & Eurasia

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

Report

Jun 29, 2023

Maximizing US foreign aid for strategic competition

By Patrick Quirk, Caitlin Dearing Scott

A fully developed strategy for using foreign aid across all sectors—economic, education, security assistance, and democracy support—can provide critical reinforcement to the military and economic pillars of strategic competition.

Africa China

Issue Brief

Jun 29, 2023

What policymakers need to know about artificial intelligence

By Philip L. Frana

Behind the hype and fear lies a crucial truth—AI is designed to augment human intelligence, not replace it. This primer explains how developers strive to create systems that mimic human capabilities by finding patterns, making predictions, and generating meaningful and actionable insights using data generated by our information-rich world.

Africa China

Conflict, Risk, and Tech

Jun 28, 2023

Shaping the global spyware market: Opportunities for transatlantic cooperation

By Jen Roberts and Emmeline Nettles

The United States and its allies can do more to improve their position on spyware. Further policy action should, through greater collaboration with marketplace operators and allies and partners, work on furthering the development of norms and common understanding of what spyware can and cannot be used for.

Cybersecurity European Union

UkraineAlert

Jun 28, 2023

Wagner drama drags Belarus deeper into Russia’s wartime turbulence

By Hanna Liubakova

News that Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin and many of his battle-hardened troops will be exiled to Belarus has sparked concerns that the country is being dragged further into Russia's wartime turmoil, writes Hanna Liubakova.

Belarus Civil Society

In the News

Jun 28, 2023

Jeglinskas in Radio Canada on the Wagner insurgency in Russia

By Giedrimas Jeglinskas

On June 28, Transatlantic Security Initiative nonresident senior fellow Giedrimas Jeglinskas was quoted in Radio Canada, stating that the failed rebellion in Russia is a reminder that lasting peace is still far from being a reality in the region (text in French).

Europe & Eurasia Security & Defense

In the News

Jun 28, 2023

“Sanctioning China in a Taiwan Crisis: Scenarios and Risks” report cited by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Read the full article here.

China Economic Sanctions

In the News

Jun 28, 2023

CBDC tracker cited by Statista

Read the full piece here.

Americas Digital Currencies

In the News

Jun 28, 2023

“Sanctioning China in a Taiwan Crisis: Scenarios and Risks” report cited by UK Parliament

Read the full transcript here.

China Economic Sanctions

In the News

Jun 28, 2023

Webster in The China-Russia Report: The PRC responds to the rebellion, issues statements (generally) supportive of Putin 
China Energy & Environment

In the News

Jun 28, 2023

Tran quoted in Bretton Woods Committee post on Paris Summit

Read the full post here.

Economy & Business European Union
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Experts

Staff

Rayhan Asat

Senior Legal & Policy Advisor, China Lead

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Central Asia China

Fellow

David Auerswald

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Executive Leadership Intensive participant

Ilker Baburoglu

CEO, MedTrade Energy & Commodities

Millennium Leadership Program

Africa Economy & Business

Millennium fellow

George Bachiashvili

CEO, Mission Gate

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Digital Policy

Fellow

Tyson Barker

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

Staff

James Batchik

Associate Director

Europe Center

Central Europe Digital Policy
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Events

Public Event Tue, June 24, 2025 • 3:00 pm ET

2025 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes launch
Eastern Europe Freedom and Prosperity Human Rights Inclusive Growth
Public Event Wed, June 25, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

New findings: Russian aerial attacks amount to extermination and persecution
Civil Society Conflict Crisis Management Russia
Online Event Mon, June 30, 2025 • 7:45 am ET

Bolstering the transatlantic partnership at a global inflection point
Europe & Eurasia Southern & Southeastern Europe
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