stay updated

Featured Reading

The Yalta Conference at seventy-five: Lessons from history

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
The Yalta Conference at seventy-five: Lessons from history

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
The Yalta Conference at seventy-five: Lessons from history

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

The Yalta Conference at seventy-five: Lessons from history

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
The Yalta Conference at seventy-five: Lessons from history

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

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2020

The Yalta Conference at seventy-five: Lessons from history

By Daniel Fried

One lesson is that core values may have more viability than it seems, especially in the long term: for two generations after 1945, foreign policy professionals and scholars concluded that Roosevelt’s weak defense of Poland at and immediately after Yalta was pointless (or cynical) and that the principles of the Atlantic Charter were inapplicable east of the Iron Curtain. Soviet domination there, it was implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) accepted, was forever. But it turned out otherwise. The Yalta Conference failed but Yalta Europe was not forever. The strategic vision that Roosevelt spelled out in the Atlantic Charter and sought to realize at Yalta—even if miserably—now seems the right one.

Central Europe Politics & Diplomacy

UkraineAlert

Feb 6, 2020

Impeachment drama gives Ukraine a US brand boost

By Ostap Yarysh

The impeachment of President Trump is now over but the drama has had a profound impact on US-Ukrainian relations and on American public awareness of Ukraine.

Politics & Diplomacy Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Feb 6, 2020

Zelenskyy must not miss his chance to change Ukraine

By Anders Åslund

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a huge electoral mandate for change and a solid macroeconomic base to build on - but will he become bogged down in day-to-day corruption like so many of his predecessors?

Corruption Political Reform

In the News

Feb 6, 2020

Katz in Al Jazeera Centre for Studies: Whatever His Title, He Plans to Remain in Charge: Is it a Solo ‘Tandemocracy’ Now?

By Atlantic Council

Politics & Diplomacy Russia

Press Release

Feb 6, 2020

US-Ukraine relations: Ways forward

By Atlantic Council

A delegation of former US ambassadors and high-level officials, who remain key figures in the American foreign policy establishment, are traveling to Ukraine to reiterate that support for Ukraine remains strong in the United States despite the US impeachment process.

Politics & Diplomacy Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Feb 5, 2020

Albania still committed to EU membership, PM says

By David A. Wemer

Despite continued delays in the opening of accession negotiations with the European Union, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that his country remains committed to pursuing EU membership because “there is no alternative.” Speaking at the Atlantic Council on February 5, Rama reported that Albania is continuing with its planned reforms as European leaders debate the proper time to begin the membership process for Albania and its neighbor North Macedonia. “We are not sitting and crying,” Rama said. Albania is “not waiting for some miracle to happen.”

Democratic Transitions European Union

New Atlanticist

Feb 5, 2020

The case for extending New START

By Alexander Vershbow

US and global security would be greatly enhanced by extending New START for another five years. Extension would preserve the last effective and verifiable agreement that limits the strategic arms competition between the United States and Russia and make it easier to maintain deterrence and strategic stability by allowing both sides an assured second-strike capability.

Arms Control Nuclear Deterrence

Insights & Impact

Feb 5, 2020

Europe to take center stage in global trade talks

By Hung Tran

With the “phase one” trade deal behind them, the United States and China will now probably shift attention to sorting out their economic and trade relationships with Europe. Caught in the middle of the US-China trade war and geopolitical competition, the European Union (EU) has tried to steer an independent course, balancing security and geopolitical concerns with economic and business needs. Doing so, however, has exposed many differences vis-a-vis the United States as well as China.

China European Union

In the News

Feb 5, 2020

Herbst dives deep on US-Ukraine relations on NPR’s WorldAffairs

By John E. Herbst

Former ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst joins NPR's WorldAffairs to break down why US-Ukraine relations are vital and the complicated history behind them.

Conflict National Security

UkraineAlert

Feb 4, 2020

International law may yet contain Putin in Ukraine

By Michel Waelbroeck and Willem Aldershoff

Rival interpretations of the 2015 Minsk Protocols have brought Ukraine and Russia to deadlock in negotiations to end the undeclared six-year war between the two nations - but could international law help Ukraine to win the diplomatic argument?

Conflict Russia
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

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
Load More