issue spotlight

Europe in crisis

War in Ukraine

Experts from across the Atlantic Council are assessing the consequences of Russia’s February 2022 invasion, including what it means for Ukraine’s sovereignty, Europe’s security, and the United States’ leadership.

More on the war View UkraineAlert
There’s a right way to lift sanctions on Russia. Follow these Dos and Don’ts.

New Atlanticist Dec 4, 2024

A winning strategy to end Russia’s war against Ukraine

More than a dozen experts from the United States and Europe share their recommendations to the incoming Trump administration about how best to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.

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There’s a right way to lift sanctions on Russia. Follow these Dos and Don’ts.

Russia Tomorrow Jan 8, 2025

Sanctioned kleptocracy: How Putin’s kremligarchs have survived the war—and even prospered

By Ilya Zaslavskiy

The latest report in the Atlantic Council’s Russia Tomorrow series explores how Russia’s kleptocratic networks infiltrated the West and measures the US and Europe can take to combat the malign influence of Russian kleptocracy around the globe.
Corruption Economic Sanctions
There’s a right way to lift sanctions on Russia. Follow these Dos and Don’ts.

UkraineAlert Jan 14, 2025

No peace without security: Ukraine needs guarantees against new Russian invasion

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine is ready to make territorial concessions but insists that any peace deal must include credible long-term security guarantees to prevent a new Russian invasion, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict European Union

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COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS

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.

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Host and Eurasia Center Senior Fellow Brian Whitmore invites guest experts to deliver their insights and analysis in this weekly podcast. The Atlantic Council and the Charles T. McDowell Center for Global Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington co-sponsor this production.

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

Russia Tomorrow: Five scenarios for Russia’s future

by Casey Michel

A new Atlantic Council report explores five paths that Russia future might take in its future. What forces will shape Russia’s future?

recent events

Online Event Mon, March 31, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

What’s next for the Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia?
Conflict Europe & Eurasia Human Rights Resilience & Society
Online Event Fri, February 21, 2025 • 11:00 am ET

War and peace: The state of the battlefield and Trump’s diplomacy in Ukraine
Conflict Europe & Eurasia Politics & Diplomacy Russia
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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.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Mar 26, 2025

There’s a right way to lift sanctions on Russia. Follow these Dos and Don’ts.

By Daniel Fried, Kimberly Donovan

A former US diplomat and a former US Treasury official offer eleven guiding principles for moving forward in negotiations on sanctions relief with Russia.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2025

Experts react: What to know about the US-led Black Sea cease-fire deal with Russia and Ukraine

By Atlantic Council experts

Atlantic Council experts plumb the depths of the new US agreements with Moscow and Kyiv to end hostilities on the Black Sea.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

UkraineAlert

Mar 25, 2025

Ukraine’s growing military strength is an underrated factor in peace talks

By Serhii Kuzan

Any discussion on the future course of the war against Russia and the terms of any peace deal must take into account the fact that Ukraine is a now major military power in its own right, writes Serhii Kuzan.

Conflict Defense Industry

New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2025

Peace requires more than a handshake: Misreading Russia’s war aims will prolong Putin’s aggression

By Zak Schneider

Understanding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ideological motivations for invading Ukraine is essential to negotiating a lasting peace.

Conflict Defense Policy

Report

Mar 24, 2025

Why democracies stick together: The theory and empirics behind alliance formation

By Markus Jaeger

Democratic peace theory holds that democracies do not go to war with each other. The democratic alliance hypothesis suggests democracies prefer alliances with fellow democracies over nondemocratic powers. If both theories hold, US foreign policy should prioritize democratization, as prosperous, democratic nations are less likely to align with authoritarian states.

China Freedom and Prosperity

In the News

Mar 24, 2025

Bayoumi published in Foreign Policy on how US climate policy is a “win” for Russia

On March 24, Imran Bayoumi, associate director of the GeoStrategy Initiative in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, was published in Foreign Policy on changing US climate priorities. He argues that a “U-turn” on climate could benefit US adversaries like Russia.  

Energy & Environment Geopolitics & Energy Security

In the News

Mar 21, 2025

Soofer featured at NSSA’s SpaceTime event on “Golden Dome for America”

By Atlantic Council

On March 20, Forward Defense senior fellow Robert Soofer joined Lt. Gen. Henry “Trey” Obering, USAF (Ret.), and Chris Williams for NSSA’s SpaceTime event, “Golden Dome for America.” The discussion explored the policy, budgetary, and programmatic implications of President Trump’s recent executive order establishing a homeland air and missile defense system.

China Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Mar 20, 2025

Putin is ruthlessly erasing Ukrainian identity in Russian-occupied Ukraine

By Peter Dickinson

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is pursuing policies in Russian-occupied Ukraine that almost certainly meet the definition of ethnic cleansing and may qualify as genocide, writes Peter Dickinson.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert

Mar 20, 2025

Trump’s energy sector ceasefire could be good news for Putin’s war machine

By David Kirichenko 

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has backed US President Donald Trump's proposal for a partial ceasefire on energy sector attacks, but this may be a strategic step rather than an indication of his readiness to end the invasion of Ukraine, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Drones

Fast Thinking

Mar 18, 2025

The real meaning of Putin’s 30-day ‘energy cease-fire’ in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Our experts analyze the proposed limited cease-fire that would temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure between Russia and Ukraine.

Conflict Crisis Management
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Experts

Fellow

Shawn Creamer

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Indo-Pacific Security Initiative

Security & Defense East Asia

Fellow

William B. Taylor

Distinguished Fellow

Eurasia Center

English Europe & Eurasia

Staff

Katherine Spencer

Program Assistant

Eurasia Center

Central Asia Conflict

Fellow

Yarely Madrid

Nonresident Journalist Fellow

Global China Hub

China Latin America

Fellow

Leslie Shedd

Nonresident Fellow

Eurasia Center

Eastern Europe Elections

Advisory Council member

Vicky Kuperman

Global Advisor, Women for Prosperity

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Media Russia
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Events

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

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