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.

NATO should offer Ukraine a membership plan now

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.

New Atlanticist

Apr 13, 2023

NATO should offer Ukraine a membership plan now

By Franklin D. Kramer

Considering today’s geopolitics and NATO’s values, offering a membership action plan is the most effective and appropriate response to the challenge Russia presents.

Conflict NATO

AfricaSource

Apr 12, 2023

<strong>As Sudan’s transition to democracy accelerates, reforming the security forces must be a top priority</strong>

By Benjamin Mossberg

The Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces must be governed by the rule of law and work to protect democracy and human rights in Sudan.

Africa Conflict

New Atlanticist

Apr 10, 2023

Highlights from the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings

By Atlantic Council experts

Here are our experts' top takeaways from meetings with central bankers and finance ministers.

Economy & Business Financial Regulation

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attend a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia April 6, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

New Atlanticist

Apr 7, 2023

Russian War Report: Belarus accuses Ukraine of plotting terrorist attack

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus' KGB accused Ukraine of plotting an attack on a Russian consulate in the Belarusian city of Grodno. Belarus also confirmed it would accept Russian tactical nuclear weapons.

Belarus Conflict

New Atlanticist

Apr 5, 2023

David Malpass on China’s role in the World Bank and how to prevent a ‘lost decade for growth’

By Katherine Golden

The president of the World Bank, speaking at the Atlantic Council as he prepares to hand over the reins to his successor, has one big worry about the global economy: a “reversal in development.”

Digital Currencies Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Apr 4, 2023

Will Finland’s political turn mean a course change on NATO too?

By Rasmus Hindrén

Finland is joining NATO just as its center-left government lost a general election. Here's what to expect with the center-right National Coalition Party in charge.

Democratic Transitions Elections

New Atlanticist

Apr 4, 2023

<strong>Five ways the World Bank can redefine its role in the global economy</strong>

By Nicole Goldin, Mrugank Bhusari

With a new president on the horizon and an appetite for reform in the US and beyond, the World Bank is ready for change. It can start by focusing on these five policy priorities.

Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform

New Atlanticist

Apr 3, 2023

Don’t let Beijing define the narrative of Taiwan’s relations with the world

By Markus Garlauskas

As Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen stops in the United States, Beijing is trying to paint reasonable, routine, and restrained actions as risky, worrisome, and escalatory.

China East Asia

New Atlanticist

Mar 31, 2023

European Commission’s Margrethe Vestager: Europe must de-risk, not de-couple, from China

By Nick Fouriezos

The Commission's executive vice-president appeared at the Atlantic Council in Washington to give an early preview of what the EU's reassessment of its relationship with China might look like.

Digital Policy Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Mar 31, 2023

Israeli-Arab cooperation on agriculture, water, and food security starts with building on existing innovations

By Daniel B. Shapiro

The recent N7 conference showed how the climate crisis in Middle Eastern societies has given rise to a set of issues around which there is much consensus and a true openness to addressing them together.

Civil Society Climate Change & Climate Action

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