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.

Coronavirus exceeds 220,000 cases, younger adults getting sick too

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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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

Mar 19, 2020

Coronavirus exceeds 220,000 cases, younger adults getting sick too

By Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council’s Coronavirus Alert is a regular summary of policy, economic, and business events around the emergency. To stay updated, sign up to the Coronavirus Alert here.

Economy & Business
Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Mar 19, 2020

Azerbaijan’s strongman senses opportunity in coronavirus pandemic

By Doug Klain

While many countries are scrambling to protect the public from COVID-19, authorities in Azerbaijan are using the virus as a pretext to continue their harassment of opposition groups.

Civil Society
Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Mar 18, 2020

The global economic policy response to coronavirus takes shape

By Bart Oosterveld

Governments and central banks globally have been engaged in an initial round of measures to blunt the anticipated economic impact of the spread of the virus, including making funds available, lowering key interest rates, intervening in funding markets, and supporting emergency lending.

International Financial Institutions
International Markets

New Atlanticist

Mar 18, 2020

How the coronavirus will impact Panama’s economy

By Cristina Guevara

Panama's economy—currently precarious and stagnant—depends on infrastructure megaprojects, international trade, and financial services, making it especially vulnerable to external changes like coronavirus.

Coronavirus
International Markets

New Atlanticist

Mar 18, 2020

Coronavirus tops 200,000 cases worldwide, all fifty US states affected

By Atlantic Council

The number of coronavirus worldwide topped 200,000, with authorities worldwide increasing economic stimulus measures in an attempt to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on individuals, companies, and markets. All fifty US states have now registered cases, as hospitals face shortages of medical equipment.

Economy & Business
Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Mar 17, 2020

Another prime minister nominee in Iraq: Will this one take?

By Abbas Kadhim

Al-Zurfi's success will depend on the Kurds and the Sunnis, whose opposition destroyed the chances of the previous nominee. For the Kurdish and the Sunni blocs, it is not a matter of whether Al-Zurfi is able to meet the governance challenges, but rather a question of if he will undertake enough political bargaining and ethno-sectarian apportionment of political positions that come with perks. Al-Zurfi will have to calculate how much he can give them to keep a semblance of legitimacy for his government.

Corruption
Democratic Transitions

New Atlanticist

Mar 17, 2020

How coronavirus is shaking the global economy

By Bart Oosterveld

COVID-19’s deadly spread delivers a trifecta economic shock: there is a collapse of aggregate demand through severely reduced consumption, a shock to global business through supply chain interruptions and bankruptcies, and resulting financial market gyrations.

Coronavirus
International Markets

New Atlanticist

Mar 17, 2020

The ugly, bad, and good of America’s coronavirus response

By Daniel Fried

Tough times reveal a lot about character, both personal and national; the coronavirus pandemic puts some current American shortcomings in nasty relief, but also, thankfully, points to underlying national strengths.

Coronavirus
Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Mar 17, 2020

Coronavirus restrictions ramp up from US to France, Iran to Latin America

By Atlantic Council

Worldwide restrictions increased as authorities from the United States to France, and Iran to Latin America tried to contain the spread of coronavirus. Governments embarked on economic measures to limit the economic impact of the pandemic, including a reported $850 billion sought from Congress by the Trump administration.

Economy & Business
Energy & Environment

New Atlanticist

Mar 16, 2020

Two days of delays at major US airports show DHS not given the resources to do the job

By Thomas S. Warrick

DHS experts would have known in January, if not earlier, to begin urgent planning for the possibility of having to staff the screening of large numbers of incoming travelers at major airports around the country. All signs show that parts of this planning went well, but with one crucial failure: DHS was not given the resources necessary to scale the response to the president’s policy decision to screen arriving travelers from Europe.

Coronavirus
Security & Defense

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