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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.

Putin critic Litvinenko’s widow says Russia using disinformation to discredit Skripal poisoning

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.

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Putin critic Litvinenko’s widow says Russia using disinformation to discredit Skripal poisoning

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

Putin critic Litvinenko’s widow says Russia using disinformation to discredit Skripal poisoning

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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New Atlanticist

Sep 12, 2018

Putin critic Litvinenko’s widow says Russia using disinformation to discredit Skripal poisoning

By David Wemer

Russian authorities are now “trying to use a case of Alexander Litvinenko to destroy the future case of Yulia and Sergei Skripal,” Marina Litvinenko said.

Disinformation Non-Traditional Threats

New Atlanticist

Sep 11, 2018

Can peace be won in Afghanistan?

By Omar Samad

How will key regional stakeholders—Pakistan, Russia, Iran, China, and India—manage shifting interests and threat perceptions at a time when the United States is pushing for a peace deal, and is there a contingency plan if talks fail?

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Sep 11, 2018

Eritrea and Ethiopia: Troops remain, but is peace closer?

By Bronwyn Bruton

Events on September 11 suggest that the troop withdrawal—and with it, the normalization of politics on both sides of the border—is getting much closer.

Conflict Eritrea

New Atlanticist

Sep 11, 2018

#StrongerWithAllies: The day NATO stood with the United States

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Since 2001, US NATO allies have lost more than 1,000 troops in Afghanistan. “They died in solidarity with us, for the Alliance and the values it defends,” said Daniel Fried, distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council's Future Europe Initiative and Eurasia Center.

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 11, 2018

Assad still standing in Syria: What went wrong?

By David Wemer

Now, Washington must face the reality that Assad is here to stay and that Syria will continue to be a source of instability in the region for years to come.

Conflict Syria

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2018

Has Trump shut the door to Middle East peace with closure of Palestinian office?

By David Wemer

The decision to close the PLO office is seen by some as a reflection of the Trump administration’s growing frustration to secure a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians—even as the administration is set to unveil its proposed “deal of the century.”

Crisis Management Israel

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2018

Six years after a US Ambassador was killed in Benghazi, Libya remains mired in Chaos

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Libya today has two power centers—an internationally recognized government based in Tripoli and an internationally recognized parliament based in eastern city of Tobruk.

Conflict Libya

New Atlanticist

Sep 10, 2018

Moscow looks to flex its muscles in the East

By Brooks Tigner

While far from the Alliance’s borders this time, the forthcoming event’s location, huge scale, and unusual partner participation (China) carry strategic implications for NATO and the West, and also raise serious questions open to diverse interpretation.

China NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 7, 2018

Seven things you should know about Macedonia

By David Wemer

On September 30, citizens will vote in a referendum to ratify a name-deal with Greece, that will see the country renamed to “the Republic of North Macedonia,” hopefully ending a decades-long disagreement with Greece and paving the way for Macedonia’s accession to the European Union and NATO.

Elections NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 7, 2018

The war in Syria: A battle looms in Idlib

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Idlib’s population has almost doubled to around three million as tens of thousands of Syrians trapped in other parts of the country were evacuated there under various ceasefire agreements with the Assad regime. Now there are few safe spaces to which they can flee.

Conflict Crisis Management
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