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Featured Reading

Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis: Putin is no Khrushchev

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
Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis: Putin is no Khrushchev

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
Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis: Putin is no Khrushchev

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

Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis: Putin is no Khrushchev

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
Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis: Putin is no Khrushchev

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

UkraineAlert

Nov 23, 2022

Lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis: Putin is no Khrushchev

By Harlan Ullman

The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis may offer some useful insights as Western leaders seek the right response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent nuclear saber-rattling over Ukraine, writes Harlan Ullman.

Conflict Disinformation

IranSource

Nov 23, 2022

Drone sales to Russia spark a debate in Iran

By Javad Heiran-Nia

The revelation that Iran has sold drones to Russia that the latter is now using to attack Ukraine has touched off a debate about whether this growing closeness to Russia is in Iran’s national interest.

Europe & Eurasia Iran

UkraineAlert

Nov 22, 2022

Putin’s peace ploy is a ruse to rearm

By Dennis Soltys

Russia is currently calling for a return to the negotiating table but Ukrainian leaders are convinced Vladimir Putin is merely seeking to buy time in order to regroup and rearm before the next phase of his invasion.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Nov 22, 2022

Ukraine must be allowed to strike back against targets inside Russia

By Ira Straus

In order to defeat Putin and end the war, Ukraine must be allowed to strike back inside Russia. At present, this is not possible due to restrictions imposed by Ukraine's overly cautious international allies, writes Ira Straus.

Arms Control Conflict

Atlantic Debrief

Nov 22, 2022

#AtlanticDebrief – What is the state of transatlantic trade & tech? | A Debrief from Tyson Barker and Ken Propp

Europe Center Senior Director Jörn Fleck speaks with Tyson Barker and Kenneth Propp on the upcoming meeting of the US-EU Trade and Technology Council, European digital sovereignty, and more.

Digital Policy Economy & Business

In the News

Nov 22, 2022

Ness in Centre for European Perspective’s “Strategic partnership for a secure and digital Europe” report: Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

Europe Center nonresident senior fellow Susan Ness authored a section of the report Strategic partnership for a secure and digital Europe Forging a digitally advanced future with deepened transatlantic cooperation organized by the Centre for European Perspective, assessing the role of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council in aligning transatlantic democracies. The war in Ukraine […]

Digital Policy Economy & Business

In the News

Nov 22, 2022

Wieslander in WSJ China on Polish missile incident

Anna Wieslander, the Atlantic Council’s director for Northern Europe, said in an interview to Wall Street Journal China that Poland’s hard-line stance on the Ukraine war could create a potential rift within NATO if the Polish government pushes for a strong and rapid NATO response to Russia. However, she said, the government has shown restraint […]

NATO Northern Europe

Fast Thinking

Nov 21, 2022

The big success and bigger failure of COP27

By Atlantic Council

What other surprises cropped up at the conference? Our experts, who were on the ground in Sharm el Sheikh, are here to weigh in.

Brazil China

UkraineAlert

Nov 20, 2022

Putin’s invasion has strengthened the case for Ukrainian NATO membership

By Taras Kuzio

Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion has highlighted the dangers of allowing Ukraine to exist in a geopolitical gray zone and strengthened arguments for the country's post-war NATO integration, writes Taras Kuzio.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Nov 20, 2022

Ellinas in Cyprus Mail: EU’s RES plans offer no certainty regarding East Med gas
Central Europe Eastern Europe
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Experts

Staff

Alexander Young

Project Assistant

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Helene-Terese Jürgenson

E-Construction Services Project Manager, Estonian Ministry of Climate

Millennium Leadership Program

Energy & Environment Northern Europe

Fellow

Andrea Rigoni

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Cybersecurity Digital Policy

Fellow

Nik Foster

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

China Energy & Environment

Staff

Torrey Taussig

Director

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Eastern Europe Europe & Eurasia

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Hélène Sene

Global Engagement Manager, HCLTech

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Technology & Innovation
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Events

Flagship Event Tue, June 17, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

2025 Global Energy Forum

The ninth Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum will be held June 17 and 18 in Washington, DC.
Africa Americas Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment
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
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