stay updated

Featured Reading

Ashford at CSIS: Military Challenges to Future NATO Enlargement

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
Ashford at CSIS: Military Challenges to Future NATO Enlargement

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
Ashford at CSIS: Military Challenges to Future NATO Enlargement

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

Ashford at CSIS: Military Challenges to Future NATO Enlargement

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
Ashford at CSIS: Military Challenges to Future NATO Enlargement

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

In the News

Sep 8, 2021

Ashford at CSIS: Military Challenges to Future NATO Enlargement

By Atlantic Council

On September 8, Ashford participated in a panel discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies around a new paper on the future of NATO expansion and was appointed a Nonresident Fellow at the Modern War Institute as West Point for the 2021-2022 academic year. “Past NATO expansion helped create a Europe whole, free, […]

English Europe & Eurasia

BelarusAlert

Sep 8, 2021

Belarus and Europe’s new Iron Curtain

By Brian Whitmore

Kremlin-backed Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka's weaponization of illegal migration has forced neighboring EU members to introduce tougher border restrictions and led to talk of a new Iron Curtain.

Belarus European Union

In the News

Sep 8, 2021

Alam wrote for Project Syndicate on the Afghan resistance: “Support Ahmad Massoud and the Afghan Resistance”

By Atlantic Council

Afghanistan Conflict

UkraineAlert

Sep 7, 2021

Could Vladimir Putin repeat his Crimean conquest in southwestern Ukraine?

By Michael Druckman

The Bessarabia region in southwestern Ukraine shares many of the same characteristics that helped facilitate the 2014 Kremlin takeover of Crimea and should be a national security priority for the Ukrainian authorities.

Conflict Disinformation

UkraineAlert

Sep 7, 2021

Ukraine’s digital revolution is gaining momentum

By Mykhailo Fedorov

September marks the second anniversary of Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation. The Ministry can report significant progress in turning President Zelenskyy's dreams of a digital revolution into reality.

Digital Policy Internet

In the News

Sep 7, 2021

Alam was quoted in CNBC News: “Fighting continues in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley as anti-Taliban resistance vows to hold out.”

By Atlantic Council

Afghanistan Conflict

Article

Sep 7, 2021

Counterterrorism and great-power competition

By Nathan Sales

For nearly two decades after the attacks of September 11, 2001, counterterrorism was the United States’ top national security and foreign policy priority. That is no longer the case, as resources and policy maker bandwidth are increasingly shifting to challenges associated with peer and near-peer rivals such as China and Russia.

China Middle East

UkraineAlert

Sep 5, 2021

US anti-corruption crusade should focus on Europe’s east

By Janusz Bugajski

By making the fight against corruption a key US foreign policy priority, President Biden can counter the Kremlin's efforts to gain influence throughout Central and Eastern Europe via the exploitation of corruption.

Central Europe Corruption

BelarusAlert

Sep 3, 2021

Broadening the pressure on the Lukashenka regime

By Daniel Fried

Recent news of fresh IMF financing for Belarus has sparked controversy at a time when the democratic world is seeking to impose sanctions on the country's Kremlin-backed dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Belarus Economic Sanctions

In the News

Sep 3, 2021

Ashford in The Guardian: Yesterday’s war: why Raab did not foresee Afghanistan catastrophe

By Atlantic Council

On September 3, Emma Ashford was quoted in The Guardian on the fallout of the Afghan withdrawal. “Not surprisingly, there is now return of fire in the US from the many supporters of Biden’s decision. Emma Ashford, a leading advocate of a new grand strategy of US restraint, said: ‘If this episode pushes America’s European […]

Afghanistan Conflict
Load More

Experts

Fellow

Shawn Creamer

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Indo-Pacific Security Initiative

Security & Defense East Asia

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Antti Rauhala

Programme Officer, International Energy Agency (IEA)

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Eastern Europe

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Raphaela Schweiger

Director of Migration, Immigration Society, & Global Issues, Robert Bosch Foundation

Millennium Leadership Program

Europe & Eurasia Human Rights

Staff

Lize de Kruijf

Project Assistant, Economic Statecraft Initiative

Economic Statecraft Initiative GeoEconomics Center

Dutch Economic Sanctions

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Chiara Cocchiara

Senior Innovation Officer, European Space Agency

Millennium Leadership Program

Europe & Eurasia Resilience & Society

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Salam Nukta

Innovation, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship Professional, Warsha Consulting

Millennium Leadership Program

Education Entrepreneurship
Load More

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
Public Event Tue, May 20, 2025 • 11:30 am ET

Report launch: Confronting Russia’s cyber power
Cybersecurity Digital Policy Europe & Eurasia Infrastructure Protection
Load More