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Featured Reading

Lukashenka, Putin, and the art of geopolitical extortion

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
Lukashenka, Putin, and the art of geopolitical extortion

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
Lukashenka, Putin, and the art of geopolitical extortion

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

Lukashenka, Putin, and the art of geopolitical extortion

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
Lukashenka, Putin, and the art of geopolitical extortion

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

BelarusAlert

Nov 23, 2021

Lukashenka, Putin, and the art of geopolitical extortion

By Brian Whitmore

The Putin-Lukashenka axis of autocrats is engaging in repeated acts of geopolitical extortion. Rewarding this with phone calls, summits, and concessions will only encourage more dangerous behavior.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Nov 23, 2021

Vladimir Putin is testing the “weak” West in Ukraine and Poland

By Taras Kuzio

Russia's current military build-up on the Ukrainian border is part of Vladimir Putin's hybrid war against the democratic world and an attempt to exploit what many in the Kremlin perceive to be Western "weakness."

Belarus Conflict

Britain Debrief

Nov 23, 2021

#BritainDebrief – Can Britain and France get on? A debrief from Georgina Wright

By Ben Judah

As tensions between France and the United Kingdom continue to simmer, Ben Judah interviews Institut Montaigne's Georgina Wright for her perspective on French-UK relations.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Nov 23, 2021

What’s Russia doing in Ukraine? Its latest military drills provide critical clues.

By John R. Deni

Here's what the Zapad-2021 joint exercise between Russia and Belarus revealed about the Kremlin's strategic plans.

Defense Policy Eastern Europe

Issue Brief

Nov 23, 2021

Competing data governance models threaten the free flow of information and hamper world trade

By Hung Tran

The EU framework is comprehensive and puts a strong emphasis on the protection of personal data both from the government and private companies. It also establishes that EU citizens’ data can be transferred only to countries with an adequate privacy protection regime (adequacy to be determined by the European Commission).

China Cybersecurity

In the News

Nov 23, 2021

Binnendijk and Lindley-French in Defense News: Prioritize NATO’s core task: Collective defense

By Hans Binnendijk

Hans Binnendijk and Julian Lindley-French write that traditional collective defense remains the top priority for NATO, and that it should be reflected in the new Strategic Concept to be released in 2022.

Europe & Eurasia National Security

In the News

Nov 22, 2021

Deni in Defense News: If the Russian military crashes through a forest, will NATO hear a sound?

By John R. Deni

Deni writes in Defense News on the role that the NATO Response Force might have in responding to Russia's military buildup around Ukraine.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

In the News

Nov 22, 2021

Bryza in The Financial Times: Letter: Russia’s Ukraine build-up looks like reprise of Georgia invasion
Russia Ukraine

AC Selects

Nov 21, 2021

AC Selects: Highlights from 2021 Central Europe Week

Week of November 21, 2021 The Europe Center hosts the 2021 Central Europe Week—a week of virtual programming highlighting how the United States and Central Europe can together lead in shaping transatlantic responses to global challenges. Related events

Economy & Business European Union

In the News

Nov 21, 2021

Kroenig and Ashford debate Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine and discuss solutions to the Belarus-Poland border crisis

By Atlantic Council

On November 19, Foreign Policy published a biweekly column featuring Scowcroft Center deputy director Matthew Kroenig and New American Engagement Initiative senior fellow Emma Ashford assessing the latest news in international affairs. In the column, they debate intentions behind Russia’s latest military buildup near Ukraine and discuss possible solutions to the Belarus-Poland border crisis, including short-term liberalization of […]

Crisis Management Eastern Europe
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Experts

Fellow

Jeppe Kofod

Distinguished Fellow

Global Energy Center

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Eveline Debora Nuta

Founder & CEO, Kollabrix

Millennium Leadership Program

Eastern Europe Education

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Tim van den Bergh

Lead, Climate Tech Innovation, World Economic Forum

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Energy & Environment

Fellow

Naz El-Khatib

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Europe & Eurasia Indo-Pacific

Fellow

Stanislava Mladenova

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Afghanistan Conflict

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Grégoire Roos

Head of Political Dialogue & Policy Innovation, BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt

Millennium Leadership Program

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia
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Events

Online Event Fri, July 11, 2025 • 10:30 am ET

What comes next for transatlantic trade
Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia European Union Trade and tariffs
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