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.

Advanced economies under pressure in the central bank digital currency race

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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Digital currencies

Aug 25, 2020

Advanced economies under pressure in the central bank digital currency race

By Barbara C. Matthews, Hung Tran

Advanced economy central banks are also actively engaged in CBDC research and development efforts. But as guardians of global reserve currencies, their approaches will necessarily be more deliberate and cautious than Beijing’s aggressiveness.

Digital Currencies Digital Policy

New Atlanticist

Aug 24, 2020

China’s Digital Currency Electronic Payment Project reveals the good and the bad of central bank digital currencies

By Hung Tran, Barbara C. Matthews

The development of the DCEP has revealed the significant advantages and potential drawbacks for both China’s digital currency project and the potential for widespread central bank digital currencies around the world.

China Digital Currencies

New Atlanticist

Aug 24, 2020

Mental health care in the military: An opportunity for progress

By Andrew Farnsworth

Now more than ever, military service members need exceptional mental health care—and the national security community is uniquely positioned to develop the actionable recommendations that are prerequisites for progress.

Defense Policy United States and Canada

Elections 2020

Aug 21, 2020

US trade policy after November: A must-do agenda

By Marc L. Busch

Regardless of the political balance of power after November, there are two things that need to get done, and fast: the unblocking of the WTO Appellate Body and a new trade deal with Europe to match Canada's and Mexico's.

Trade and tariffs United States and Canada

Elections 2020

Aug 21, 2020

Adviser on Biden’s foreign policy: Start at home and repair alliances

By David A. Wemer

One of his chief foreign policy advisers said that a future Biden White House would focus its foreign policy on revitalizing the United States at home, rehabilitating frayed alliances, and building a team of democracies to solve the world’s biggest challenges.

China Climate Change & Climate Action

New Atlanticist

Aug 21, 2020

Unconventional monetary policy is not a free lunch in Europe or the United States

By Andrzej Rzońca and Grzegorz Parosa

The European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve responded to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with a similar prescription to the one they used during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), but this time they multiplied the dose.

Coronavirus European Union

New Atlanticist

Aug 20, 2020

Rebounding Asian exports could signal problems for China’s supply chains

By Jeremy Mark

While China is currently providing its neighbors with critical economic lifelines, many in the Asia-Pacific are still looking for alternatives. China’s continued economic power means that any decoupling will carry a cost, as Taiwan is beginning to experience in the Huawei dispute.

China International Markets

New Atlanticist

Aug 20, 2020

UAE Foreign Minister: Deal with Israel was made to save the two-state solution

By David A. Wemer

The normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was just “a matter of time,” according to UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, but the UAE finally struck the deal in return for the suspension of the Israeli government’s annexation plans, he said.

Conflict Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Aug 19, 2020

The ‘Digital Ocean’ as a model for innovation in the perfect storm

By Keit Pentus-Rosimannus and Michael D. Brasseur

By capitalizing on opportunities such as the ‘Digital Ocean’ NATO can help provide solutions to the megatrends that will define this century, while fulfilling its core mission of providing security to its nearly one billion citizens.

Crisis Management Drones

New Atlanticist

Aug 18, 2020

Pakistan races to avoid financial watchdog blacklist

By Safiya Ghori-Ahmad

The Pakistani Senate is racing to approve multiple bills to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing—and fulfill a twenty-seven-point plan from global watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF). With thirteen remaining conditions and an eye on the mid-October deadline, Pakistan is hoping to avoid a demotion from the FATF’s grey list to the blacklist, joining countries such as Iran and North Korea.

Financial Regulation International Financial Institutions

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