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.

The odds on Brexit not happening are shortening

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

Nov 21, 2018

The odds on Brexit not happening are shortening

By Peter Westmacott

Brexiteers don’t think it marks enough of a clean break with the European Union (EU) while Remainers think it leaves Britain with the worst of all worlds.

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Nov 21, 2018

Trade wars? Let’s talk turkey

By Marie Kasperek

These trade disputes do have a silver lining: your Thanksgiving turkey will be cheaper this year. But before we celebrate this price drop let’s take a closer look at what it tells us about what is going on in the world of trade.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Nov 20, 2018

Can international cooperation in space survive geopolitical competition on Earth?

By David A. Wemer

At a time when Russia and the United States spend most of their time preparing for conflict, space remains one of the few areas where both countries cooperate extensively.

Space Technology & Innovation

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2018

Securing the consumer internet of things

By Beau Woods and Jack Watson

Unfortunately, the norm for IoT devices is lax security—simple, hardcoded (unchangeable) passwords, and operating systems that can’t be patched or updated with security protection. Thus, on October 14, 2018, the United Kingdom’s department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) published its “Code of Practice for Consumer IoT Security.”

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2018

Will China’s economic slowdown lead to a major crisis?

By Josh Rudolph

Both bears and bulls make equally compelling arguments about China’s current challenges, suggesting the probability of a major crisis is in line with the historic precedent of 50/50.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2018

Chinese infrastructure project drives Pakistan further into debt

By Aafreen Afzal

While the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has the potential to bring much-needed economic development to Pakistan, its price tag threatens to plunge the country further toward fiscal instability.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2018

Emmanuel Macron can make France great again

By Nicholas Dungan

Macron’s approval ratings stand at an all-time low with over seventy percent of French people polled not expressing confidence in his leadership.Yet great hopes have been pinned on Macron and he has worked hard to fulfill them.

European Union France

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2018

Treasury right to sanction Saudis in response to Khashoggi killing

By Samantha Sultoon

Treasury’s use of the GloMag sanctions authority exemplifies precisely what that authority was created for—it is a targeted action intended to punish specific targets without broader negative implications.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2018

United States sanctions seventeen Saudi officials over Khashoggi murder

By Ashish Kumar Sen

“While sanctions are an important way of sending a message, they are also a blunt instrument that authoritarian leaders find ways to work around," said Richard LeBaron, a non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Human Rights

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2018

Quiz: Summits and Brexit

By Atlantic Council

Theresa May faces more obstacles as she heads for the Brexit finish line. Summits were held from Singapore to Paris to Sicily. Were you keeping track of the week’s top world news stories? Take these seven questions and prove you were paying attention.

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