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.

The Trump administration can still seal a trade deal with India—and cement a legacy

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

Nov 19, 2020

The Trump administration can still seal a trade deal with India—and cement a legacy

By Mark Linscott

An agreement may not be objectively huge in scope but it should be deemed sufficiently significant in resolving difficult market access issues on both sides, warranting a rapid conclusion during this lame-duck moment.

India Trade and tariffs

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2020

The Trump administration is right—on civilian oversight of special operations

By William F. Wechsler

While the elevation of an assistant secretary of defense may elicit yawns, the move addresses one of the most important issues for any country: how to best secure civilian control over the military.

Defense Policy National Security

Fast Thinking

Nov 18, 2020

Here’s what foreign interference in the 2020 election actually looked like

By Graham Brookie, Alyssa Kann

On this episode of Fast Thinking, Graham Brookie and Alyssa Kann of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab dive into what we know about how disinformation and interference played out in the 2020 US election. While some have been quick to call out Iran and Russia for meddling in the race, Graham and Alyssa […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2020

From debt relief to restructuring: The G20 wakes up to reality

By Vasuki Shastry and Jeremy Mark

As the pandemic-induced global recession continues to batter African economies, the Group of Twenty (G20) governments have sidestepped the pressing need for assistance to countries hardest hit by the downturn. Instead, they have focused on aligning their interests in preparation for the next stage of the region’s deepening crisis: the restructuring of unsustainable debt burdens.

Africa Fiscal and Structural Reform

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2020

Huawei’s push in Russia exploits Kremlin fears of Western technology

By Justin Sherman

With Moscow yearning for an alternative to Western technology and the United States on a campaign to throw Huawei out of Europe and East Asia, the Chinese telecom giant sensed opportunity in Russia.

China Cybersecurity

Fast Thinking

Nov 17, 2020

FAST THINKING: Trump fires top DHS cybersecurity official over election protection

By Atlantic Council

Donald Trump escalated his attacks on the integrity of the US election process Tuesday night, firing a top Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity official who spent the last weeks debunking many of the president’s false claims about election fraud.

Cybersecurity Disinformation

Fast Thinking

Nov 17, 2020

FAST THINKING: Trump’s plan to bring US troops home by Inauguration Day

By Atlantic Council

First he shook up the leadership at the Pentagon. Now, as his new acting defense secretary announced on Tuesday, Donald Trump is planning to withdraw significant numbers of US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. How should we weigh the noble cause of ending wars against the president’s rush to do so as his term comes to an end? And how will these moves affect the Biden administration’s options when it takes office in January?

Afghanistan Defense Industry

Elections 2020

Nov 16, 2020

We must face up to what is happening in the United States of America

By Mathew Burrows

Despite Joe Biden’s victory, the fallout from the 2020 election is posing a mortal threat to American democracy from within. We must not sugarcoat what is happening in our country. Instead, we should face up to it and the responsibility we all bear—whether we are Republicans, Democrats, or Independents—for our present predicament.

Elections Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2020

New Asian free trade agreement secures economic space for China

By Hung Tran

The RCEP’s main winner will be China, who has secured a dominant position in one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions, giving Beijing the opportunity to establish its preferred rules and standards, and providing a major advantage for its companies to exploit these valuable markets.

China East Asia

New Atlanticist

Nov 13, 2020

Rushing for the exits in Afghanistan would leave a lasting stain on America

By James Cunningham, John Negroponte, Ronald Neumann, Hugo Llorens, Richard Olson, and Earl Anthony Wayne

Withdrawing quickly would end any hope for a decent and responsible peace agreement in Afghanistan, and would also put to rest any prospect that Trump’s legacy might include taking credit for the Afghan peace process that he and his Afghanistan team took the lead in creating.

Afghanistan Conflict

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