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Featured Reading

Kroenig and Ashford discuss fallout from Beirut explosion, Belarus election and reflect on General Brent Scowcroft’s legacy

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
Kroenig and Ashford discuss fallout from Beirut explosion, Belarus election and reflect on General Brent Scowcroft’s legacy

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
Kroenig and Ashford discuss fallout from Beirut explosion, Belarus election and reflect on General Brent Scowcroft’s legacy

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

Kroenig and Ashford discuss fallout from Beirut explosion, Belarus election and reflect on General Brent Scowcroft’s legacy

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
Kroenig and Ashford discuss fallout from Beirut explosion, Belarus election and reflect on General Brent Scowcroft’s legacy

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

Aug 14, 2020

Kroenig and Ashford discuss fallout from Beirut explosion, Belarus election and reflect on General Brent Scowcroft’s legacy

By Atlantic Council

On August 14, Foreign Policy published a biweekly column featuring Scowcroft Center Deputy Director Matthew Kroenig and the Cato Institute’s Emma Ashford discussing the latest news in international affairs. In this column, they discuss the fallout from the explosion in Beirut, potential consequences of protests following Belarus’s presidential election, and the legacy of General Brent Scowcroft.

Belarus Corruption

UkraineAlert

Aug 13, 2020

Front line communities and Ukraine’s local elections

By Andreas Umland

Ukraine plans to hold nationwide local elections in October 2020, but areas close to the front lines of the conflict with Russia in the east of the country will not participate. How can these regions be best managed?

Conflict Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Aug 13, 2020

Ukraine must address the legal ambiguity enabling Putin’s not-so-secret war

By Wayne Jordash

Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine is one of the world's worst-kept secrets, but a failure to end the legal ambiguity shrouding Russia's role in the ongoing conflict makes progress towards peace impossible.

Conflict Disinformation

BelarusAlert

Aug 13, 2020

Europe must not abandon the new Belarus to Putin

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

Protests in Belarus over a rigged election have grabbed the world's attention this week. However, this geopolitically important democratic awakening has little chance of success without Western support.

Belarus Democratic Transitions

In the News

Aug 13, 2020

General Jones and Brzezinski in Defense One: NATO Must Move Out Smartly on 5G

By James L. Jones, Jr., Ian Brzezinski

James L. Jones and Ian Brzezinski make the case for why NATO should move quickly to take advantage of 5G network technology and its military applications.

Americas Cybersecurity

Blog Post

Aug 13, 2020

NATO’s progress on burden sharing remains strong

By Bradley Hazen

While movement towards the two percent may seem slow, it is clear that NATO allies are making significant changes to their defense spending.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

New Atlanticist

Aug 13, 2020

Macron has the power to change the EU’s Hezbollah policy

By Jeremy Stern

Macron’s belief in France’s special responsibility to Lebanon is evident. If he wants to help the people suffering under Hezbollah there, Macron should follow the German example, and lead a ban of Hezbollah at home.

Conflict France

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Aug 13, 2020

Russia uses US data policy shortfalls to justify campaign against internet freedom

By Justin Sherman

A transcript of the meeting between Putin and his internet regulator shows, unsurprisingly, that the Kremlin continues using its rubber-stamped laws to justify internet censorship and control. But it also demonstrated the Kremlin’s growing desire to undermine the Western-led open democratic internet model.

Cybersecurity Internet

Issue Brief

Aug 13, 2020

Future of DHS Project: Key findings and recommendations

By Thomas Warrick & Caitlin Durkovich

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needs to refocus its mission to lead the defense of the United States against major nonmilitary threats.

China Coronavirus

UkraineAlert

Aug 11, 2020

Zelenskyy’s old new faces

By Adrian Karatnycky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to power in 2019 promising a new era in Ukrainian politics but the recent appointment of figures from the discredited past raises questions about this fresh start.

Democratic Transitions Political Reform
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Experts

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

Fellow

LeAnne Noelani Howard

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Daniel Di Giusto

Co-founder & Social Impact Strategist, Tech To The Rescue Foundation

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Civil Society

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Slavina Ancheva

MPP Candidate and Belfer Young Leader, Harvard Kennedy School

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Civil Society

Fellow

Jeppe Kofod

Distinguished Fellow

Global Energy Center

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia
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Events

Public Event Wed, May 14, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

Navigating a new era of NATO
Europe & Eurasia NATO Security & Defense United States and Canada
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
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