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.

Iran’s attack on US drone escalates tensions in the Gulf

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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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 20, 2019

Iran’s attack on US drone escalates tensions in the Gulf

By David A. Wemer

Barbara Slavin believes the string of incidents over the last several weeks means “it is time for diplomats to meet to discuss ways of getting out of this mess.”

Drones Iran

New Atlanticist

Jun 20, 2019

Avoiding tariff escalation and making the transatlantic economy stronger

By Antonio de Lecea

US exports and jobs can increase if the United States and the EU eliminate current tariffs on industrial goods and reduce the compliance costs of exporting across the Atlantic.

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Jun 20, 2019

The importance of working together in the fight against disinformation

By Ashish Kumar Sen

After reports showed that the European parliamentary elections were hit by disinformation campaigns, researchers argue for more coordination in response.

Disinformation

New Atlanticist

Jun 20, 2019

US senator condemns Putin’s complicit role in Venezuela

By David A. Wemer

US Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s support for Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela, saying on June 20 that the Russian president is a "co-conspirator" in Maduro's human rights abuses.

Russia Venezuela

New Atlanticist

Jun 20, 2019

How the European Union avoided a disinformation crisis

By David A. Wemer

EU official says proactive measures helped lessen the impact of coordinated disinformation campaigns during the EU parliamentary elections.

Disinformation European Union

New Atlanticist

Jun 20, 2019

Wanted: A code of ethics for open source researchers

By Ashish Kumar Sen

As more and more actors start to work with open source information there is an urgent need for a code of ethics to guide decision-making on what tools are used and when, speakers told an audience at the Atlantic Council’s 360/OS conference in London on June 20.

Disinformation

New Atlanticist

Jun 19, 2019

North Korea must regain Washington’s trust, South Korean official says

By David A. Wemer

Special adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in argues that diplomatic and security assurances—not sanctions relief—are the key to achieving North Korean denuclearization

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Korea

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

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