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.

Lessons from a Privacy Shield post-mortem on Capitol Hill

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

Dec 15, 2020

Lessons from a Privacy Shield post-mortem on Capitol Hill

By Kenneth Propp

A hearing on the consequences of the European Court of Justice's invalidation of the EU-US Privacy Shield illuminated the deepening transatlantic divide over data transfers, and it highlighted the early challenge the subject looks to pose for President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, which is eager to repair US-EU relations.

Digital Policy Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Dec 15, 2020

Which hacker group is most like your astrological sign?

By Safa Shahwan Edwards and June Lee

Which cyber Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is most like your astrological sign? After all, behind every cyber operation is a human, led by his or her values and decisions, which can be shaped by one’s astrological sign. These APT-sign pairings provide a guide to some of the most dangerous cyber threat actors and perhaps even a forecast of their prospects for success.

Cybersecurity Internet

Fast Thinking

Dec 15, 2020

FAST THINKING: Why the new Russian hacks are a game-changer

By Atlantic Council

The bad news keeps coming about the scope of a suspected Russian hack: The US Department of Homeland Security was compromised, in addition to the State, Treasury, and Commerce Departments and parts of the Pentagon. What's going on?

Cybersecurity Russia

Fast Thinking

Dec 12, 2020

Why Biden’s agriculture Secretary will matter

By David Bray and Claire Branley

The Atlantic Council's Claire Branley and David Bray break down what to expect from Biden's pick—and how tech and big data can usher in the next agricultural revolution.

United States and Canada

Fast Thinking

Dec 12, 2020

FAST THINKING: Get up to speed on India’s new mass protests

By Atlantic Council

Mass protests led by Indian farmers are presenting perhaps the greatest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to date. The protests have drawn in supporters from across Indian society, as farmers vow to dig in outside the capital for months. Why is the new movement so powerful—and how will Modi respond?

India Politics & Diplomacy

Fast Thinking

Dec 11, 2020

Biden’s Susan Rice pick shows how domestic policy is becoming international

By David Bray and Claire Branley

President-elect Biden has named one of America's leading foreign-affairs veterans to a surprising position: as a top advisor on domestic policy.

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Dec 10, 2020

The European Magnitsky Law—A milestone with a lot of potential

By Hagar Hajjar Chemali

The European Magnitsky Act has some limitations, but if implemented and enforced consistently, it has the potential to make a large impact in the global fight against human rights abuse because of the opportunity it creates for the United States and Europe to coordinate their efforts together.

Economic Sanctions European Union

New Atlanticist

Dec 10, 2020

Gender equality can accelerate Latin America’s post-COVID-19 recovery: Men and boys must take part

By Valentina Sader, Cristina Guevara

In Latin America and the Caribbean, this year's Human Rights Day marks a grim trend as COVID-19 sets back decades of progress for women and girls. And without enlisting everyone, including men, in the fight for women’s empowerment, society’s ability to achieve gender equality is limited.

Caribbean Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Dec 10, 2020

France: Lost in translation?

By Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux

French President Emmanuel Macron seems to be feuding with the press again—but not in France, this time, but with the American media. The dust-up concerns the separation of church and state and comes as Macron, leader of one of the United States’ closest allies, prepares to launch a major new initiative in France’s fight against religious extremism.

France Media

New Atlanticist

Dec 9, 2020

China’s economic transformation must change its relationship with the world, says World Bank President David Malpass

By Katherine Golden

China’s fourteenth five-year plan has set its aims high: achieving a majority middle-class country, through income redistribution, reducing economic inequality, and property reform and ownership. But China’s drive to reform its economy “means that China needs to also then have a different relationship with the rest of the world,” according to World Bank President David Malpass.

China Coronavirus

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