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 must adapt to Afghanistan’s generation shift or it will lose the peace

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

Dec 9, 2020

NATO must adapt to Afghanistan’s generation shift or it will lose the peace

By Ben Acheson

While the jihadi generation may be the ones who shape and sign a peace agreement with the Taliban, the youth bulge will have to implement and sustain it. They are the Afghans needed to achieve a common international aim: that nineteen one-year wars are not followed by nineteen one-year peace processes.

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Dec 9, 2020

Preparing for the day after peace in Afghanistan

By Khyber Farahi

While a political settlement may end the conflict, sustaining peace will depend on a common definition of what peace will look like and delivering on the promise of a better future for the Afghan people.

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Dec 9, 2020

NATO needs continuous responses in cyberspace

By Franklin D. Kramer, Lauren Speranza, and Conor Rodihan

Today, NATO’s security is threatened by Russia’s and China’s continuous cyberattacks on the Alliance and its members. To accomplish its mission of deterrence and defense, NATO needs to implement a strategy of proactive, continuous responses to China and Russia in cyberspace, where great power competition is playing out in real time.

Cybersecurity Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Dec 9, 2020

Working hand-in-glove: A first-hand account of Lloyd Austin’s leadership in Iraq

By Marc J. Sievers

Lloyd Austin was a great soldier, an inspiring commander to his troops, and a down-to-earth, approachable colleague who we civilians were privileged to work alongside.

Defense Policy Iraq

New Atlanticist

Dec 8, 2020

Mo Ibrahim: Why Africa must emerge more resilient from the COVID crisis

By David A. Wemer

A well-known Afro-optimist, Ibrahim has invested in the continent’s democratic progress and has focused on tackling practical governance issues. While the pandemic has exposed such problems across the world, he noted, one of its lessons is that Africa must be “more self-sufficient” and “resilient.”

Africa Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Dec 8, 2020

Biden picks a general: Here’s how Lloyd Austin could reinforce civilian control at the Pentagon

By William F. Wechsler

With careful and consistent attention to the messages he sends through his words, actions, and appointments, there is no reason why a Secretary Austin can’t also succeed at reinforcing longstanding American ideals on civilian-military relations.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fast Thinking

Dec 8, 2020

FAST THINKING: Biden’s surprise pick for defense secretary

By Atlantic Council

The biggest surprise of the Biden transition so far is here: The president-elect has picked retired general Lloyd Austin as his nominee for secretary of defense. Is he the right person for the job? And what does the historic selection mean?

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fast Thinking

Dec 7, 2020

FAST THINKING: The next stage of Venezuela’s power struggle

By Atlantic Council

The Trump administration recognized opposition figure Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president and mobilized nations around the world to do the same. But Nicolás Maduro is still in power—and perhaps even more entrenched after winning control this weekend of the National Assembly in an election boycotted by Guaidó and his allies. What does the election mean for the opposition’s future?

Elections Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Dec 7, 2020

US investors face half-baked Trump restrictions on Chinese securities

By Jeremy Mark

As the Trump administration tries to accelerate economic decoupling from China before leaving office, it has turned its attention to international finance by targeting investments in Chinese companies designated as threats to US national security. In that process, it is injecting uncertainty into markets by forcing investors to adjust to rapidly evolving restrictions.

China Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist

Dec 7, 2020

Remittances show promise in the face of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic

By Gabriella Cova

With a projected 9 percent contraction in regional gross domestic product (GDP) for this year, experts fear that the heightened economic uncertainty and lower foreign demand brought on by the health crisis might signify yet another lost decade for Latin America. There is one factor, however, that paints a particularly promising picture for the outlook of the region: remittances.

Coronavirus International Markets

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