Ian Lesser is a distinguished fellow and adviser to GMF’s president. He heads the organization’s Brussels office and leads GMF South, a program encompassing research and analysis of developments in Southern Europe, Türkiye, the Mediterranean, and North-South relations around the Atlantic. He served as GMF’s acting president from 2020 to 2021. His expertise includes US foreign and security policy, transatlantic relations, and European and Middle Eastern affairs. He holds the chair in transatlantic trade and economy at the College of Europe in Bruges. 

Prior to joining GMF, Lesser was a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and vice president and director of studies at the Pacific Council on International Policy. He spent over a decade at the RAND Corporation as a senior analyst and research manager specializing in strategic studies. From 1994 to 1995, he was a member of the secretary’s policy planning staff at the US Department of State, responsible for Türkiye, Southern Europe, North Africa, and the multilateral track of the Middle East peace process.

A frequent commentator for international media, Lesser has written extensively on foreign and security policy issues. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and studied at the University of Pennsylvania, the London School of Economics, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Pacific Council on International Policy. He serves on the advisory boards of the NATO Defense College Foundation, the Antwerp-American Foundation, Atlantic Dialogues, and the Delphi Economic Forum, and has been a senior fellow of the Onassis Foundation and the Luso-American Development Foundation.

Media Mentions

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European Allies Hold Ministerial Meeting at NATO HQ
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Around the world, incumbents faced electoral challenges. How did they fare?
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Europe shifts gears for the Trump era
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EU to include new actors like Türkiye in defense strategy amid growing concerns
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“Trust was often more important than expertise": Who is Trump's 'dealmaker' for the Middle East and Ukraine?
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French nuclear umbrella: Macron shakes up the EU and changes the balance with Russia
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Ian Lesser: "There is no European defence without NATO"
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Facing Trump And Putin, Are The EU's Defence Plans Enough?
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The "27" agreement and the European defence strategy against Trump's plans
Kyiv Independent
Russia, China 'salivating' as Trump's Ukraine peace plan unfolds, experts say
Der Tagesspiegel logo
Entrepreneur, son-in-law, hardliner: Who advises Donald Trump on Middle East policy?
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World Leaders Meet at the 2025 Munich Security Conference
Best of 'frenemies': Trump's relationship with Europe this time may be very different
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Five reasons why Trump can also be good for Europe
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Europe, Ukraine, U.S. Withdrawal, Roles to Play as Concerned… High Tariffs Also Unstable
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Around the world, incumbents faced electoral challenges. How did they fare?
NATO is spending more on defence, but it's likely not enough
The ‘Trump whisperer’ who could lead Nato at its most dangerous moment
Who will (finally) be the next NATO chief?
‘We feel safe here’: Cyprus becomes ‘haven’ after Hamas attack
US-EU Leaders Discuss Wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Trade Disputes
‘Messy’ German tank saga highlights Berlin as ‘soft underbelly’ of Europe
Ian Lesser, El Pais, Putin’s war in Ukraine enters global spiral of unforeseeable consequences
Ian Lesser, Axios, Finland's NATO application could be imminent
Ian Lesser, New York Times, Counteroffensive in Ukraine Shifts Dynamic of War
Ian Lesser, NPR, Biden and U.S. allies plan to step up sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine
Ian Lesser, Politico, Biden faces off against Putin. His other opponent is time.
Ian Lesser, Washington Post, Biden heads to Europe in an effort to bolster the Western alliance
Ian Lesser, Washington Post, What is NATO? Ukraine invasion raises profile of this political and military alliance.
Ian Lesser, DW, What would a Russian invasion of Ukraine trigger for the EU?
Ian Lesser, L'Express, Menace russe sur l'Ukraine : pour l'OTAN, l'avenir se jouera à l'Est
Ian Lesser, New York Times, ‘America Is Back,’ Biden Declared in June. The World Is About to Test Him.