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Featured Reading

Can Germany stay the course on defense spending?

Dispatches
Feb 2, 2026

To increase its autonomy, Europe must look to its strengths

By
Piotr Arak

The challenge for Europe in the coming decade is not to imitate the United States and China, but to mobilize its own considerable strengths.

Economy & Business
European Union

Can Germany stay the course on defense spending?

Dispatches
Jan 27, 2026

The India–EU trade deal is worth watching, but not overhyping

By
Mark Linscott

The newly announced free trade agreement is an important accomplishment, even if it is unlikely to be transformational.

Economy & Business
European Union

Can Germany stay the course on defense spending?

Dispatches
Jan 26, 2026

Time matters: Why Europe needs Ukrainian defense innovation

By
Oleksiy Honcharuk

For Europe to gain genuine defense autonomy, it will need to combine the continent’s capital with Ukraine’s speed and military innovation.

Defense Industry
Defense Policy

featured events

Online Event
Wed, January 14, 2026 • 12:00 pm ET

The future of EU-Mercosur trade

A panel of experts unpack the EU-Mercosur trade deal and what it means for competitiveness, climate-linked trade rules, and the future of transatlantic strategy.

European Union
Latin America
Trade and tariffs


Public Event
Wed, November 19, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

Intent to destroy: Confronting Russia’s campaign to erase Ukraine and its people

In this conference hosted by the Strategic Litigation Project and the Eurasia Center, experts will identify strategies to halt Russia’s campaign of atrocities against the Ukrainian people.

Civil Society
Conflict
Crisis Management
Security & Defense


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 CRINK: Inside the new bloc supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine

by Angela Stent

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series details how Russia’s war against Ukraine has brought together a new set of partners–united not by shared values, but by shared grievances–on the international stage: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

In-depth Research & reports

Can Germany stay the course on defense spending?

Russia Tomorrow
Dec 12, 2025

The Russian economy in 2025: Between stagnation and militarization 

By
Elina Ribakova, Lucas Risinger

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series examines the Russian wartime economy.

Economy & Business
Europe & Eurasia

Can Germany stay the course on defense spending?

Report
Jan 14, 2026

Digital sovereignty: Europe’s declaration of independence?

By
Frances Burwell, Kenneth Propp

In Brussels, “digital sovereignty” may be the new “strategic autonomy”: a push for Europe to go its own way and depend less on the United States. As US tech companies and EU regulators clash, catch up on a policy debate with consequences playing out online and in the halls of power.

Digital Policy
Economy & Business

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 Turkey Program 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 13, 2019

Can Germany stay the course on defense spending?

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Brooks Tigner</span>

Germany has long been an underspender when it comes to meeting NATO’s defense budget guideline of 2 percent of GDP for each of its allies, but that is now changing.

Germany NATO

UkraineAlert

Feb 12, 2019

Sure, Ukraine’s Not Going to Elect a Pro-Russian President, but There Are Many Other Ways the Kremlin Can Interfere

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Sofiya Kominko</span>

Russia’s attack on Ukrainian ships in the Sea of Azov on November 25 may have been a probe to test the West’s reaction before the launch of other offensives aimed at destabilizing Ukraine at a crucial time. 2019 is Ukraine’s election year. And it is one of double importance with presidential and parliamentary elections taking place six […]

Ukraine

UkraineAlert

Feb 12, 2019

Ukrainian Comedian Tops Polls but Race Far from Over

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Katie LaRoque</span>

In a few weeks, a comedian may become the next president of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, an unlikely candidate who plays an ordinary history teacher that becomes president of Ukraine on his popular TV series, Servant of the People, ranks as one of the most popular candidates in Ukraine’s March presidential election. Zelenskiy’s character, Vasyl Petrovych […]

Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Feb 11, 2019

The Three Seas Initiative explained

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >David A. Wemer</span>

As the United States looks to confront Russian and Chinese economic and geopolitical competition in Europe and across the world, the Three Seas Initiative offers an opportunity to strengthen the economies of US allies.

Central Europe Geopolitics & Energy Security

New Atlanticist

Feb 11, 2019

Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge Gets Underway in London

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Jack Watson</span>

The two-day event is a unique and innovative cyber crisis and policy response simulation. The UK edition is part of a wider Atlantic Council effort to foster the next generation of multidisciplinary cyber professionals.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

UkraineAlert

Feb 11, 2019

New Political Platform in Ukraine Deserves Second Look

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Vitalii Rybak</span>

On February 4, a group of Ukrainian politicians and activists announced the formation of a new political platform. In Ukraine, this would hardly make news. New political platforms are announced regularly, especially during election years. But this new platform, the Euro-Atlantic Agenda for Ukraine, deserves a second look. (We previously reported that this platform was […]

NATO Russia

UkraineAlert

Feb 11, 2019

Why the Sajdik Plan for the Donbas Will Not Work

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Maksym Khylko</span>

In the last year, there hasn’t been any new momentum in the effort to bring peace to Ukraine. Amid this long-lasting stalemate, the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung recently published an interview with Martin Sajdik, special representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, under the ambitious title “We Have a New Plan […]

OSCE Russia

New Atlanticist

Feb 10, 2019

Engaging Hungary is good for US interests and values

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Damon Wilson</span>

Hungary is in a region of strategic interest to the United States and should be among our natural allies. Since 1990, as the United States supported the region’s aspirations, the region stood by Washington on very tough decisions.

Hungary Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Feb 10, 2019

Fried Quoted in Reuters on Pompeo’s Trip to Central Europe

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Daniel Fried</span>

Read the full article here

Central Europe

In the News

Feb 8, 2019

Binnendijk in Defense News: German F-35 Decision Sacrifices NATO Capability for Franco-German Industrial Cooperation

By <span class="gta-embed--tax--expert gta-post-embed--tax--expert" >Hans Binnendijk</span>

Read the full article here

Germany NATO
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Experts

Staff

Jörn Fleck

Senior Director

Europe Center Transform Europe Initiative

Digital Policy Economy & Business

Fellow

Cori Fleser

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Americas Defense Policy

Advisory Council member

Helga Flores Trejo

Vice President, Special Envoy Multilateral & Sustainability Affairs, Bayer

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Brazil Economy & Business

Staff

Denise Forsthuber

Deputy Director, Strategic Engagement and Operations

Europe Center Transform Europe Initiative

Central Europe Eastern Europe

Fellow

Nik Foster

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

China Energy & Environment

Fellow

Diane Francis

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

Ukraine
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Events

Public Event Wed, March 4, 2026 • 3:00 pm ET

EXIM Bank Chairman John Jovanovic on US priorities for global competitiveness

AN AC FRONT PAGE EVENT—John Jovanovic, president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, discusses EXIM’s role in supporting US manufacturing, strengthening supply chains, and recalibrating trade.
Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia Geopolitics & Energy Security Trade and tariffs
Public Event Thu, March 5, 2026 • 9:30 am ET

Navigating a new era in Syria: Strategic opportunities for the US and Turkey
Conflict Defense Policy Iraq Middle East
Flagship Event Tue, June 9, 2026 • 9:00 am ET

2026 Global Energy Forum

The tenth Global Energy Forum will chart the course for continued innovation, collaboration, and leadership in the global energy transition. 
Africa Americas Climate Change & Climate Action Critical Minerals
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