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.

Pompeo’s trip to Central Europe aims to bring NATO allies in from the cold

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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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

Feb 8, 2019

Pompeo’s trip to Central Europe aims to bring NATO allies in from the cold

By David A. Wemer

“Freezing people out is not going to help,” Atlantic Council ambassadorial fellow Daniel Fried said. “The United States has enormous political capital. We need to use it and not walk away and think problems will solve themselves.”

Central Europe Hungary

New Atlanticist

Feb 8, 2019

Revisiting the Narrative About Hungary’s Relationship with Russia

By László Szabó

As a surgeon by profession, I believe in the saying: “Proper diagnosis is half the cure.” Recycling or pushing a narrative, or simply labelling the other, has never helped come to terms on anything, much less resolve a problem.

Hungary Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2019

Quiz: What in the world?

By Atlantic Council

In his second State of the Union address on February 5, US President Donald J. Trump laid out his vision for the year ahead. But do you remember what he said about the rest of the world? Take our quiz to see if you were paying attention. powered by Typeform

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2019

#StrongerWithAllies: This Icelander helps improve lives of Afghan women

By Hal Foster

“It’s very important to put the issue of gender-based violence and women’s rights front and center every day in how we train soldiers, in how we operate in the field, and how soldiers interact with civilians when they find themselves in combat zones," said Alfred Perla Baldursdottir.

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Feb 6, 2019

Trump-Kim summit: The Vietnam edition

By Ashish Kumar Sen

"The United States should facilitate denuclearization by maintaining a simultaneous and paralleled approach to seek diplomatic engagement and pressure," said Miyeon Oh, director of the Asia Security Initiative in the Scowcroft Center for Security and Strategy.

Korea Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Feb 6, 2019

Macedonia signs NATO accession protocol: ‘We will never walk alone again’

By David A. Wemer

The signing of the accession protocol follows the passage of a name deal between Macedonia and Greece. Under the deal, Macedonia’s name will change to “the Republic of North Macedonia” once Greece ratifies the NATO accession protocol, potentially as early as February 8.

NATO

New Atlanticist

Feb 6, 2019

Trump’s State of the Union and what we have to say about it

By Ashish Kumar Sen and David A. Wemer

Atlantic Council analysts take a look at some of the foreign policy notes struck by the president and offer their analysis.

Democratic Transitions Migration

New Atlanticist

Feb 5, 2019

Name deal with Greece gives Macedonia a ‘second chance’

By David A. Wemer

The name deal is “a second chance for my generation,” said Nikola Dimitrov, North Macedonia's Foreign Minister, adding, for decades Macedonia has been “locked in a waiting room.”

Greece NATO

New Atlanticist

Feb 5, 2019

Exit interview: EU’s envoy to Washington on navigating challenges in the transatlantic relationship

By Ashish Kumar Sen and David A. Wemer

David O’Sullivan, the European Union’s ambassador to the United States, wraps up his time in Washington at the end of February. The last two years of his tenure have been challenging ones for the transatlantic relationship. That challenge mainly comes from US President Donald J. Trump who once described the EU as a “foe.” In […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Feb 5, 2019

As Trump addresses the nation, what will he say about the world?

By David A. Wemer

While domestic issues such as immigration and a potential deal to avert another government shutdown will likely dominate the speech, foreign policy issues will also be addressed extensively.

NATO Trade and tariffs

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