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.

How the US-China trade war could impact US-EU negotiations and the WTO

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

Jun 25, 2019

How the US-China trade war could impact US-EU negotiations and the WTO

By Robert Hormats

The full scope and depth of the impact of a prolonged US-China trade war have yet to be fully understood. This is economic terra incognita.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jun 25, 2019

The global implications of an all-out trade war

By Robert Hormats

An all-out trade war between the United States and China will slow growth not only in these two countries, but also in countries that sell substantial amounts of goods in both markets—which means most countries in the world.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jun 24, 2019

Trump sanctions Iran’s Supreme Leader

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The executive order allows US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to impose sanctions on officials appointed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and those who provide material support to his office.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Iran

New Atlanticist

Jun 24, 2019

What to expect from Acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper

By Christian Trotti

Esper’s tenure as secretary of the army demonstrates a prioritization of great-power competition over other threats, and we should expect this trend to continue in his new role.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Jun 24, 2019

US-China trade war: The dangers of disruption

By Robert Hormats

Both the United States and China are already imposing, or considering imposing, restrictions on imports from each other of advanced high-technology products. In the process, they would be aiming at making their economies and companies less dependent on the other’s supplies of such technologies.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jun 21, 2019

Whom do tariffs actually hurt?

By Robert Hormats

If these patterns remain the same in the future, and current US tariffs are raised, as planned, from the current 10 percent to 25 percent on $200-billion worth of Chinese goods, that would be equivalent to a tax increase on Americans of $20 billion.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jun 21, 2019

Quiz: The competitive spirit

By Atlantic Council

As the world’s attention has been focused on the Women’s World Cup in France, the week’s headlines were all about competition.

New Atlanticist

Jun 21, 2019

Open source investigators set their sights on Saudi airstrikes in Yemen

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Bellingcat and the Global Legal Action Network are using open source information to investigate airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition on civilian targets and critical infrastructure in Yemen.

Disinformation The Gulf

New Atlanticist

Jun 21, 2019

Open source information as a tool in exposing authoritarian regimes

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Open source researches can steel themselves to combat disinformation fro authoritarian regimes by working with social media companies, Iyed el-Baghdadi says.

Disinformation Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Jun 20, 2019

The US-China trade wars

By Robert Hormats

At their core, the issues between the world’s two largest economies and military powers are about aspirations, drives, and policies for preeminence.

China Economy & Business

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