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.

‘Door is wide open’ for negotiations with North Korea, US envoy says

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

Stay updated

Explore our unique analysis

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

Jun 19, 2019

‘Door is wide open’ for negotiations with North Korea, US envoy says

By Ashish Kumar Sen

With US-North Korean diplomacy stuck in a ‘holding pattern,’ Stephen Biegun says North Korean negotiators must be empowered to discuss denuclearization.

Korea Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Jun 18, 2019

The West must do more to help Ukraine, Atlantic Council’s John Herbst tells Congress

By David A. Wemer

As Russia “seeks to weaken NATO, the European Union, and the United States,” the Western alliance of democracies must push back against Kremlin aggression “and the place to do it is Ukraine,” John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine and director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, told US senators at a hearing in Washington on June 18.

Russia Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Jun 18, 2019

Can Xi’s visit to North Korea facilitate US-China trade talks?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to North Korea this week will underscore Beijing’s clout in Pyongyang and, by doing so, Xi may be looking to re-energize a US effort to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and gain leverage in stalled US-China trade negotiations.

China Korea

New Atlanticist

Jun 18, 2019

A dispatch from Women Deliver: How the private sector is ensuring women are included in more inclusive growth

By Nicole Goldin

The debate demonstrated how the dialogue on the role of the private sector is shifting: from corporate responsibility to corporate interest and from social impact to bottom line impact—and increasingly both.

Inclusive Growth

New Atlanticist

Jun 17, 2019

Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, dies

By David A. Wemer

“While Morsi’s death is a single event, its long-term ramifications will be numerous and far-reaching,” said Jasmine M. El-Gamal, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.

North Africa

New Atlanticist

Jun 17, 2019

Is the Iran nuclear deal on its last legs?

By David A. Wemer

Matthew Kroenig, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security said that the decision “means Iran will begin moving closer to a nuclear weapons capability,” which—while expected— “is still highly concerning.”

Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Jun 14, 2019

Shaping a new American leadership

By Damon Wilson

The world as we know it is at risk. The next generation must forge a new American leadership in a dramatically uncertain world.

United States and Canada Youth

New Atlanticist

Jun 14, 2019

What is wrong with the WTO?

By David A. Wemer

The World Trade Organization (WTO), the largest multilateral trade organization and the foundation of the global trading system, has increasingly drawn the ire of the United States and other countries that view the organization as outdated and complacent as other countries skirt the rules to get ahead.

Economy & Business International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jun 13, 2019

Quiz: legal troubles

By Atlantic Council

From a suspicious arrest in Russia to a historic ruling in Africa, the week’s headlines were full of courtroom drama.

New Atlanticist

Jun 13, 2019

Only US concessions can bring Iran to the negotiating table

By David A. Wemer

Iranian supreme leader rebuffs Japanese prime minister’s attempt at mediation.

Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation

Share

Issue briefs and reports