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.

What Latin American countries are doing to confront coronavirus

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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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

Mar 23, 2020

What Latin American countries are doing to confront coronavirus

By David A. Wemer

As governments in North America, Europe, Asia, and around the world continue to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Latin American leaders are stepping up their efforts as cases are beginning to be documented in their countries. Although the number of cases across the region remains mostly lower than the epicenters in Europe and the United States, “we are not letting our guard down,” El Salvador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Hill Tinoco said on March 23. “No one can guarantee us that it is not going to hit us,” she explained, so every Latin American government is taking the threat seriously.

Central America
Colombia

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2020

Russia is out of control: The dangerous Mr. Sechin

By Anders Åslund

Russia is out of control. All of a sudden, it has launched an oil price war, even though it is unrealistic that the Kremlin can defeat Saudi Arabia and the United States in such a contest. Saudi Arabia’s population is one-fifth of Russia’s, while holding equivalent international currency reserves. The United States is still a net oil importer, meaning that its economy benefits from low oil prices. Russia, by contrast, is a major oil exporter and is utterly dependent on high oil prices.

Corruption
Oil and Gas

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2020

Coronavirus could bring the United States’ East Asian allies closer to Beijing

By Miyeon Oh

Amid the continued coronavirus crisis in the US and Europe, companies that were trying to reduce their heavy reliance on China cannot help but reverse their moves to keep their supply chains open and operating.

China
International Markets

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2020

Last time in the waiting room for North Macedonia?

By Teri Schultz

While there may still be a day or two before written EU conclusions seal the political deal, the government of North Macedonia looks forward to the end of this waiting period and the beginning of the rest of its story. With so much gloom in the world right now, it would be an extremely welcome two weeks in Skopje.

European Union
The Balkans

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2020

The Afghan Peace Process: Where do we go from here?

By Harris Samad

If the last twenty years teach us anything, it is that we do not have the answers for how best to support a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Afghanistan. Perhaps it’s because we’ve not been asking the right questions.

Afghanistan
Conflict

New Atlanticist

Mar 22, 2020

What the G20 needs to do to combat the global coronavirus economic crisis

By Hung Tran

The stakes for the upcoming G20 virtual summit are quite high. Either it succeeds in presenting a plausible global approach to deal with the pandemic and its impact, thus stabilizing public confidence and financial markets, or it can leave the world rudderless in the storm.

Coronavirus
G20

New Atlanticist

Mar 20, 2020

California tells 40 million to stay home; coronavirus pace increases

By Atlantic Council

California’s governor ordered 40 million residents to stay at home in an attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus. The number of deaths in the United States has more than quadrupled in the past week, while the pace of infections has accelerated worldwide. Governments from India to the UK stepped up measures to contend with the crisis.

Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Mar 20, 2020

Amid COVID-19, Iraq remains US-Iran battleground

By Atlantic Council

Americans have been killed once again during attacks on Iraqi bases, and a series of strikes have been made by US forces and Iranian proxies within Iraq, with no immediate sign that the hostilities will abate anytime soon. Iran is trying to force a US withdrawal, and the United States is trying to protect its interests and reinforce its red lines. Caught in the middle once again, Iraq is simultaneously confronting a security crisis, a health emergency, and an economic free fall—all without the benefit of a functioning government in Baghdad.

Conflict
Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Mar 19, 2020

Ambassadors call for global cooperation to meet coronavirus challenge

By David A. Wemer

While societies around the world struggle to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), political leaders must continue to collaborate on solutions to mitigate the public health and economic effects of the virus.

Coronavirus
East Asia

New Atlanticist

Mar 19, 2020

Understanding India’s citizenship controversy

By Rudabeh Shahid and Champa Patel

Understanding the full importance of India’s citizenship controversy requires deeper attention to the uncertainty regarding citizenship rights across the country, the potential risk of statelessness unfolding in the north-eastern border state of Assam, how state and federal levels of government are grappling with citizenship issues, and the global and regional implications of recent political developments in India.

Bangladesh
Democratic Transitions

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