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Featured Reading

The case for high state salaries in Europe’s poorest country

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
The case for high state salaries in Europe’s poorest country

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
The case for high state salaries in Europe’s poorest country

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.

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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

The case for high state salaries in Europe’s poorest country

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 case for high state salaries in Europe’s poorest country

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

Feb 19, 2020

The case for high state salaries in Europe’s poorest country

By Peter Dickinson

As the top manager of a flagship state-owned Ukrainian company, Ukrposhta CEO Igor Smelyansky has been publicly vilified for his high salary - but he argues that competitive incomes are the only way to beat institutionalized corruption.

Corruption Populism

New Atlanticist

Feb 19, 2020

Challenges and opportunities for Croatia’s new president

By Claudia Vaughn Zittle

Croatia’s new president Zoran Milanovic entered office on February 18 with a legacy to build upon and several challenges to overcome. Over the last fifteen years, Croatia has made remarkable progress as a democratic state, joining NATO in 2009 and the European Union (EU) in 2013. Even so, the uncertain future of European integration, uneven economic development, and malign foreign influence present challenges for Croatia and the Balkans region. The United States, other EU members, and NATO allies have a role to play in supporting Croatia’s efforts to tackle these challenges.

Economy & Business Elections

UkraineAlert

Feb 18, 2020

How Kyiv views the 12 step plan

By ROK Movement Against Capitulation / (Рух Опору Капітуляції)

Russia must take political and material responsibility for the consequences for the crime it committed: aggression and the occupation of the Ukrainian territory.

Conflict Crisis Management

UkraineAlert

Feb 18, 2020

Unsolved Maidan massacre casts shadow over Ukraine

By Bohdan Nahaylo

As Ukraine marks the sixth anniversary of the Maidan massacre the country is still waiting for justice. Could something akin to the kind of truth and reconciliation commissions that have proven effective in other countries also work in Ukraine?

Democratic Transitions Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

UkraineAlert

Feb 18, 2020

Russian escalation dampens hopes for peace in Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

Russian hybrid forces in eastern Ukraine launched a series of artillery bombardments and localized advances early on February 18. What does this latest escalation mean for the already faint hopes of an end to the six-year conflict?

Conflict Russia

Article

Feb 18, 2020

Early-morning flare-up in Luhansk

By Michael J. Sheldon

The DFRLab analyzed imagery from intense fighting in eastern Ukraine on the morning of February 18, 2020.

Conflict Disinformation

New Atlanticist

Feb 18, 2020

Spain’s position on Venezuela jeopardizes unified fight for democracy

By Cristina Guevara

Support shown to the Maduro regime on ideological grounds serves to fuel further polarization, not only in Venezuela, but around the world. Whatever the nature of the relationship between the Maduro regime and Podemos, or ideological commonalities between the two, lending diplomatic support for Maduro is commending a dictatorship.

Democratic Transitions Southern & Southeastern Europe

Inflection Points

Feb 18, 2020

Munich special edition: Is it time to worry about Germany?

By Frederick Kempe

It’s easy to understand why Germans defend the status quo, which has served them well over the past few decades. What’s unclear is how Germany will react with so many certainties shaken: the shape of the EU, relations with the U.S., the stability of German politics, and the durability of economic growth.

European Union Germany

In the News

Feb 18, 2020

Wieslander in EURACTIV: Time for Germany to get vocal on European security

By Atlantic Council

Germany Security & Defense

UkraineAlert

Feb 18, 2020

Ukraine in a smartphone: Zelenskyy’s digital dream

By Anatoly Motkin

President Zelenskyy has called for a digital revolution to transform Ukraine into a "country in a smart phone" but is greater e-government the answer to Ukraine's long struggle against corruption and dysfunction within state institutions?

Democratic Transitions Internet
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Experts

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Angeliki Georgokosta

General Manager, El Sistema Greece

Millennium Leadership Program

Civil Society Education

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Max Neufeind

Head of Transformation and Public Dialogue, German Federal Chancellery

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Entrepreneurship

Fellow

Mark Mowrey

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Atlantic Council in Turkey

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Achilles Tsirgis

Visiting Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business European Union

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Anna Ascani

Vice President of the Chamber, Italy Chamber of Deputies

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Education

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Osman Haneef

Head of LBS Startup Incubator & Senior Manager of Ventures, London Business School

Millennium Leadership Program

Entrepreneurship Rule of Law
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Events

Online Event Tue, June 3, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

Warsaw Week 2025: Retooling the transatlantic alliance for an era of uncertainty
Central Europe Eastern Europe Europe & Eurasia NATO
Public Event Wed, June 4, 2025 • 9:45 am ET

US-Central Asia Forum
Central Asia Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia Geopolitics & Energy Security
Online Event Thu, June 5, 2025 • 3:00 pm ET

General Thomas Bussiere on Global Strike Command’s role in strategic deterrence
China Missile Defense Nuclear Deterrence Russia
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