Atlantic Council
Washington think tank on transatlantic security and NATO, widely cited in the 2026 Gulf crisis.
Last refreshed: 30 March 2026
Can a transatlanticist think tank survive its own government abandoning NATO?
Latest on Atlantic Council
- What is the Atlantic Council?
- The Atlantic Council is a Washington-based non-partisan think tank founded in 1961 to strengthen transatlantic relations. It publishes analysis on NATO strategy, European security, energy markets, and US Foreign Policy across more than 25 research programmes.Source: Atlantic Council
- What did the Atlantic Council say about European gas storage in 2026?
- The Atlantic Council warned that European gas storage stood below 30% — a five-year low — as the critical summer refill season began while the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility was offline following Iranian strikes.Source: Atlantic Council Energy Security & Climate Initiative
- What is the difference between the Atlantic Council and the Council on Foreign Relations?
- Both are US Foreign Policy think tanks, but The Atlantic Council focuses specifically on transatlantic and NATO issues from a Washington perspective, while the Council on Foreign Relations has a broader global remit and publishes Foreign Affairs magazine.
- Is the Atlantic Council pro-NATO?
- Yes. The Atlantic Council was founded expressly to support the transatlantic alliance and NATO. Its analysis consistently advocates for collective defence obligations and European security integration, positions that are now in tension with the Trump administration’s public stance on Article 5.Source:
- What has the Atlantic Council said about US sanctions on Russia?
- The Atlantic Council has tracked the Trump administration’s dismantling of US sanctions enforcement, including the disbanding of Task Force KleptoCapture and Treasury hiring freezes at compliance offices, describing these as a blow to Western deterrence capacity.Source: Atlantic Council
Background
The Atlantic Council, founded in 1961, is a Washington-based non-partisan think tank focused on transatlantic relations, NATO strategy, and global security. It convenes policymakers, former officials, and analysts across more than 25 programmes, with particular depth on energy security, European defence, and US Foreign Policy. Its Eurasia Center and Energy Security and Climate Initiative are among its most active divisions.
The Council has been a primary cited authority during the 2026 Iran conflict and Russia sanctions debates. It warned that European gas storage stands below 30%, a five-year low, as the refill season begins with Hormuz closed and Ras Laffan offline . It has also tracked the dismantling of US sanctions infrastructure, including Task Force KleptoCapture, as a blow to Western enforcement capacity .
The Council occupies a contested space: a transatlanticist institution whose core assumptions, collective defence, sanctions as deterrence, and integrated energy markets, are being actively undermined by the Trump administration. Pete Hegseth’s rejection of NATO Article 5 collective defence obligations puts the Council’s founding rationale under direct strain.
