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.

Do continued EU data flows to the United Kingdom offer hope for the United States?

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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Fast Thinking

When major global news breaks, the Atlantic Council’s experts have you covered—delivering their sharpest rapid insight and forward-looking analysis direct to your inbox.

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 14, 2021

Do continued EU data flows to the United Kingdom offer hope for the United States?

By Kenneth Propp

As the Biden administration and the European Commission “intensify” negotiations to re-establish a stable transatlantic data-transfer framework, Brussels separately is moving ahead to enable unrestricted data flows with two other major trading partners: the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea.

Digital Policy
European Union

Fast Thinking

Apr 13, 2021

FAST THINKING: Leaving Afghanistan, twenty years later

By Atlantic Council

America’s longest war is set to finally come to an end, with President Joe Biden expected to announce on Wednesday that all American troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. What’s the state of the nation that the US military will leave behind?

Afghanistan
Defense Policy

Fast Thinking

Apr 13, 2021

FAST THINKING: Why economic development is key to addressing the migration crisis at the US border

By Atlantic Council

On this episode of Fast Thinking, Atlantic Council experts Rebecca Scheurer and Jason Marczak dive into the root causes of mass emigration from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, and offer recommendations for long-term solutions to the underlying push factors that drive people from their homes—including crime, gang violence, corruption, and climate change.

Central America
Migration

Fast Thinking

Apr 12, 2021

FAST THINKING: Did the Iran nuclear talks just blow up?

By Atlantic Council

Iran’s ability to enrich uranium for potential use in nuclear weapons may have suffered a severe blow on Sunday after an explosion knocked out power at its Natanz nuclear site, while indirect talks continue in Vienna around reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Will the explosion blow up those negotiations? And what will its impact be on Iran itself and the country’s nuclear program?

Crisis Management
Iran

New Atlanticist

Apr 7, 2021

The case for a global minimum corporate tax

By Jeff Goldstein

As policymakers around the world consider a global minimum corporate tax, it is important to understand the context behind the concept and how this tax might actually work.

Economy & Business
Financial Regulation

New Atlanticist

Apr 7, 2021

The storm shaking US tech in digital India

By Anand Raghuraman

In India, contentious debates over US technology platforms and their influence have gained strength and considerable political attention. And globally, governments are determined to exert sovereign control over digital domains and online users. The real test is whether US tech companies can carefully adapt their platforms and values to local markets without stretching them beyond all recognition.

Digital Policy
India

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2021

China’s strengths shouldn’t blind us to its weaknesses

By Harlan Ullman

China is a “pacing threat” and the United States’ strongest competitor. But it isn't an unstoppable colossus. There may be a fatal flaw in China's aspirations.

China
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Apr 5, 2021

The big issues at play in the IMF and World Bank spring meetings

By Hung Tran

This week’s spring 2021 meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are taking place as the global economy recovers strongly but unevenly from the COVID-19 crisis, posing difficult questions about how to deal with the impacts of the pandemic and implement support measures.

Economy & Business
Financial Regulation

Fast Thinking

Apr 2, 2021

FAST THINKING: Russia’s making military moves in Ukraine. What’s it up to?

By Atlantic Council

Russia is massing military forces on its border with Ukraine and in Crimea. Seven years after Russia first invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea, how did we get to this new point of peril? And what should we expect next?

Crisis Management
Russia

Seizing the advantage

Apr 2, 2021

Recalculating the math of great-power competition

By Arun Iyer

To better serve US interests, the Biden administration should recalculate the DoD’s GPC framework to address the threats that the country is most likely to confront, while improving the United States’ preparedness for the most dangerous threats. It should replace the single “2+3” concept with three multilayered and interactive frameworks nested upon one another.

Defense Policy
Security & Defense

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