Common Questions

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
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: event
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 the concurrent signing of Russia General Licence 134B as Iranian sanctions coverage lapsed.Source: Atlantic Council
What is the Atlantic Council's position on the Iran conflict?: The Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center and Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative publish analysis on Gulf diplomacy and Iran negotiations, including the Antalya quartet process, warning that the US withdrawal from multilateral frameworks weakens Western leverage.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: Task Force KleptoCapture was disbanded , and in April 2026 OFAC signed General Licence 134B for Russia on the same day GL-U, covering Iranian crude, lapsed without renewal.

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. Its Rafik Hariri Center and Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative continue to publish on Gulf diplomacy, Iran negotiations, and the Antalya quartet process.

How the World Sees Them

NATO

The Atlantic Council has been a consistent advocate for Article 5 solidarity and collective defence spending. Hegseth’s public dismissal of Article 5 during the Iran conflict leaves the Council arguing against its own government’s stated position.

Russia

Moscow views the Atlantic Council as a hostile voice of the US foreign policy establishment, advocating sanctions maintenance and NATO cohesion. The Council’s documentation of US sanctions erosion under the Trump administration is seen in Moscow as a welcome strategic shift.

United States

The Atlantic Council was founded to strengthen the transatlantic alliance and remained a pillar of mainstream US foreign policy thinking. The Trump administration’s dismissal of NATO Article 5 obligations directly contradicts the Council’s institutional mission.

European Union

European governments treat the Atlantic Council as a bellwether for Washington’s establishment foreign policy positions. Its warning that EU gas storage is at a five-year low heading into summer has amplified pressure on member states to accelerate storage refill.