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.

NATO’s Stoltenberg Credits Trump as Allies Increase Defense Spending

New Atlanticist
Mar 6, 2025

How European leaders are responding to Trump’s approach to Ukraine and Europe

From London and Berlin to Paris and Brussels, European leaders have taken several notable steps this week on security. This follows the blow-up between the Ukrainian and US presidents on February 28.

New Atlanticist
Feb 26, 2025

Why the US should not lift sanctions against Russia

By
Charles Lichfield

Sanctions are having an unmistakable effect, albeit below the inflated expectations of many in the West in early 2022. Lifting them now would be a mistake.

Conflict
Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist
Mar 5, 2025

The Egyptian plan for postwar Gaza is a good starting point—but it needs changes

By
Thomas S. Warrick

While many obstacles remain, the Egyptian proposal could form the starting point for negotiations over a workable plan for postwar Gaza.

Conflict
Crisis Management

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

Jul 11, 2018

NATO’s Stoltenberg Credits Trump as Allies Increase Defense Spending

By David Wemer

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on July 11 credited US President Donald J. Trump for pushing a “clear message” that allies need to invest more in their national defense, and argued that real increases in spending have been a direct result of this push. Stoltenberg spoke at NATO Engages: The Brussels Summit Dialogue, the official […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 11, 2018

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Stands Up for NATO

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on July 11 delivered a resounding defense of NATO—the transatlantic military alliance that today grapples with external as well as internal challenges—and sought to address questions of burden sharing noting that it is the quality of the output rather than the quantity of the input that actually matters. “A lot […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2018

The United States Should ‘Recommit to NATO’

By Atlantic Council

Interview with Daniel Fried, a distinguished senior fellow at the Atlantic Council On the eve of the NATO Summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12, Daniel Fried, a distinguished senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Future Europe Initiative and Eurasia Center, laid out what he wants from the meeting: “I want to see [the […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2018

The Reckoning South Sudan Needs

By J. Peter Pham

The seventh anniversary of South Sudan’s independence on July 11 is, at best, a bittersweet occasion. Seldom has a country come into being with such promise and good will. Dozens of heads of state, including Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, came to Juba to witness the birth of the world’s newest state. Messages poured in from […]

East Africa

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2018

A Waning US-UK ‘Special Relationship’

By David Wemer

A week Theresa May was dreading got a whole lot worse on July 9. The British prime minister is set to host US President Donald J. Trump on July 13, while also trying to save her government from collapse. May’s recent troubles are due to the lasting divisions within her Conservative Party on the proper […]

United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2018

Nord Stream 2 is a Bad Deal for Europe

By Agnia Grigas and Lukas Trakimavičius

This week, Western leaders will gather at the NATO Summit in Brussels to discuss the most pressing issues of the day, likely including the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. The pipeline, owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, would significantly increase Moscow’s capacity to export natural gas directly to Germany. Nord Stream […]

European Union Germany

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2018

Brexit: One Failed Plan, Two Resignations, and Plenty of Uncertainty

By Bart Oosterveld and Jörn Fleck

The illusion that British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative government had come up with something resembling a workable Brexit plan after months of uncertainty over the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) lasted little more than two days. On July 6, it appeared May had won support of her cabinet for some […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2018

‘We’ve Got a Good News Story to Tell’

By Teri Schultz

Interview with NATO’s James Appathurai It’s no secret people are nervous at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, and not just with jitters that would be normal ahead of any major event with the eyes of the world upon it. With twenty-nine heads of state and government on their way to the Alliance’s sleek new headquarters, there […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2018

NATO’s 2 percent guideline: What about the United States?

By Steven Grundman

At the NATO summit four years ago, the allies declared their commitment to “reverse the trend of declining defense budgets, to make the most effective use of our funds and to further a more balanced sharing of costs and responsibilities.” To that end, the heads of state and government gathered in Wales that summer recommitted themselves […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 10, 2018

NATO Needs to Get Smarter About AI

By Karlijn Jans

The United States’ complaint that few of its allies meet the 2 percent of GDP defense spending goal is likely to dominate the discourse at the NATO Summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12. While adequate burden sharing is important to maintain credible capabilities, this discussion will distract from what else is happening in […]

European Union International Organizations

Share

Issue briefs and reports