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.

Russian War Report: Videos appear to show missiles striking Russian oil depot

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.

An eyewitness captures video of military helicopters approaching Belgorod, Russia. (Source: @UAWeapons/archive)

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2022

Russian War Report: Videos appear to show missiles striking Russian oil depot

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Video surfaced showing a possible attack on a Russian oil depot in Belgorod. Elsewhere, a Russian official threatened Azerbaijan with nukes.

Belarus
Conflict

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2022

Biden has laid out a new vision for democracies to succeed. Here’s how to implement it.

By Ash Jain

Winning the struggle against autocracy won't be easy. But unless the world’s leading democracies are strategically aligned and committed to act in the long term, success may prove elusive.

China
Conflict

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2022

Policy memo: Four ways to send money and aid to Afghanistan

By Julia Friedlander, Mrugank Bhusari

Now that the international community has pledged billions for Afghanistan, it is time to consider creative financial tools that can effectively deliver these funds to those who need them most.

Afghanistan
Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2022

In Ukraine, I’ve seen the impossible become possible. The West hasn’t grasped that yet.

By Dan Peleschuk

Atlantic Council editor Dan Peleschuk reflects on what it's like watching stark realities unfold—and why policymakers should act now.

European Union
Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2022

Russia Crisis Military Assessment: Russia is forced to make a major shift in strategy

By Atlantic Council military fellows

The main Russian effort is now in the Donbas, where Russia will continue to send reinforcements and resupply in the hope of building on (and consolidating) small gains on the ground.

Conflict
NATO

A Russian tank spotted in southern Belarus. (Source: @tendar/euroradio)

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2022

Russian War Report: Contradictory reports of Russian vehicles returning to Belarus

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Russian forces seen returning to Belarus, Telegram channels undermining peace talks with Ukraine, and how Russians continue using banned social media.

Belarus
Conflict

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2022

Central Europe leads the way in backing Ukraine. Here’s its game plan for what’s next.

By Petr Tůma

The European Union’s eastern members have an opportunity to prove their political and diplomatic mettle—and they're seizing it.

Central Europe
Eastern Europe

Event Recap

Mar 29, 2022

German defense minister: ‘We cannot look away or stand apart’ on Ukraine

By Brian McGee

Germany is committed to stepping up in global efforts to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, German Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht said at an Atlantic Council Front Page event.

Conflict
Crisis Management

Event Recap

Mar 29, 2022

What the Baltic presidents want the West to do now against Russia

By Nick Fouriezos

Estonian President Alar Karis, Latvian President Egils Levits, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, proposed a number of options to counter Russian aggression at an Atlantic Council Front Page event Tuesday.

Conflict
Eastern Europe

New Atlanticist

Mar 29, 2022

Europe should take aim at its true data threat: Russia

By Kenneth Propp

Over the past decade, the EU's data overseers have focused almost monomaniacally on the United States. Russia's war in Ukraine shows why that is the wrong approach.

Cybersecurity
Disinformation

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