New Atlanticist

Sharp insights and bold ideas from across the Council

From climate change to the China challenge and the contest between democracy and dictatorship, the New Atlanticist is where top experts and policymakers at the Atlantic Council and beyond offer exclusive insight on the most pressing global challenges—and the US role in addressing them alongside allies and partners.

The Council’s flagship section features big ideas, groundbreaking research, lightning-fast expert reactions, in-depth analyses, and thought-provoking commentary to shape public policy.

What’s behind Erdogan’s backing of Sweden’s NATO bid?

New Atlanticist Sep 4, 2025

Dispatches from Damascus: The state of Syria’s postwar transition nine months after Assad’s fall

On a recent trip to the Syrian capital, Atlantic Council experts took note of how far the country has come since the Assad regime’s fall and what still needs to happen to secure peace and prosperity.

New Atlanticist Aug 29, 2025

Twenty questions (and expert answers) about the negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council experts

August saw a flurry of diplomatic activity to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As September nears, Atlantic Council experts share their insights on what to expect next.

Conflict Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

New Atlanticist Aug 28, 2025

Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

By Atlantic Council experts

After decades of Berlin underinvesting in its defense, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has plans to transform the Bundeswehr into Europe’s strongest military.

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

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Experts React

Dive deep into developing stories, guided by continually updated expert analysis that leaves you better informed about the most pressing global issues behind the headlines.

Markup

Our experts decipher and annotate major speeches and policy documents to break down big ideas and lay them out in plain language.

Fast Thinking

Jul 10, 2023

What’s behind Erdogan’s backing of Sweden’s NATO bid?

By Atlantic Council

Our experts on the ground in Vilnius and beyond share their insights on what changed Erdoğan’s mind and what’s next for the Alliance.

Conflict Crisis Management

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2023

Experts react: Erdogan just agreed to support Sweden’s NATO bid. What does that mean for Turkey, Sweden, and the Alliance?

By Atlantic Council experts

Atlantic Council experts weigh in on what’s behind this dramatic and consequential turnabout from Erdoğan and what to expect next.

Europe & Eurasia European Union

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2023

Four big takeaways from the new Czech national security strategy

By Petr Tůma

Prague approved a new national security strategy on June 28. Here's what stands out in the document on Russia, China, and more.

Central Europe Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2023

Prigozhin was a torpedo to the idea that the West must not humiliate Putin

By Ana Palacio

The Wagner Group founder punctured a number of myths about the Kremlin, its leader, and its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Conflict Corruption

TURKEYSource

Jul 8, 2023

A looming US-Turkey F-16 deal is about much more than Sweden’s NATO bid

By Rich Outzen, Pınar Dost

The long-awaited fighter jet deal is a puzzle piece in a broader strategic calculation about Ankara’s role in NATO’s Southeast.

Conflict Defense Industry

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2023

How four cities are building resilience to extreme heat

By Kashvi Ajitsaria

Cities around the world are facing intense heat waves. But these four are taking proactive steps to prepare for and deal with extreme heat.

Africa Americas

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2023

Will eleventh-hour diplomacy get Sweden into NATO by the Vilnius summit?

By Anna Wieslander and Eric Adamson

At stake in Vilnius is not only the security of Sweden and the Alliance as a whole, but NATO’s open-door credibility.

Europe & Eurasia National Security

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visits Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during a recent inspection, June 15, 2023. (Source: IAEA via ABACAPRESS.COM and Reuters Connect)

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2023

Russian War Report: Russian conspiracy alleges false flag at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Allegations of a supposedly US and Ukraine-planned false flag operation on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant spread across social media ahead of the NATO Summit.

Conflict Disinformation

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2023

The view from Vilnius: NATO needs speed and scale to ensure deterrence

By Giedrimas Jeglinskas

The real test of the July 11-12 NATO Summit will be whether leaders take the opportunity to increase the Alliance's deterrence.

Conflict Eastern Europe

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2023

Does Taiwan’s massive reliance on energy imports put its security at risk?

By Joseph Webster

Taipei relies on maritime imports for around 97 percent of its energy, even as Beijing appears increasingly capable of launching a quarantine, blockade, siege, or even invasion of the island.

China Conflict

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