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.

Trident juncture: NATO’s crisis response put to the test

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

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

Oct 25, 2018

Trident juncture: NATO’s crisis response put to the test

By Clementine G. Starling

Military forces from thirty-one countries, including all twenty-nine NATO members, plus Finland and Sweden, are participating in Trident Juncture, a major demonstration and test of NATO’s collective response to a fictional armed attack against an allied member state.

Crisis Management NATO

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets US President Donald J. Trump and Jared Kushner.

New Atlanticist

Oct 23, 2018

Oil, arms, and counterterrorism: A look at Saudi options and how far the Kingdom may go

By Nabeel Khoury

Given the wide opprobrium in the US Congress, media, and private sector, it is yet to be seen whether the West, particularly the United States, will punish Saudi Arabia with sanctions.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion International Norms

New Atlanticist

Oct 23, 2018

Caught in the US-China trade crossfire, Latin America must walk a fine line

By Domingo Sadurní García

Even as some Latin American countries navigate potential upsides in shifting markets and global supply chains, questions loom regarding the future of its commercial relations with the United States.

China Latin America

New Atlanticist

Oct 23, 2018

Macedonians should embrace ‘an alignment of stars,’ says former NATO secretary general

By David A. Wemer

The deal sought to end a twenty-seven-year dispute between the two countries over the name “Macedonia,” which was adopted when that country gained independence in 1991 following the break-up of Yugoslavia.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 22, 2018

Trump right to call out Russia, but is quitting an arms control treaty the answer?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The Russians have “not only broken the INF Treaty, they have stomped all over it for well over a decade at least,” said Ellen O. Tauscher, a former US under secretary of State for arms control and international security.

Missile Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Oct 22, 2018

The INF treaty: what it means and why the United States is leaving

By David A. Wemer

Although the Obama administration identified the Russian violations, support for a US withdrawal from the INF Treaty did not gain steam until the start of the Trump administration.

Nuclear Nonproliferation Russia

New Atlanticist

Oct 22, 2018

Why is a caravan of Central American migrants fleeing to the United States?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

"It is important to take into account that the underlying conditions that are forcing people to leave have been endemic in these countries for decades. Fixing them will take a committed, multi-pronged, multiyear strategy," said Jason Marczak director of The Atlantic Council's Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center.

Central America Human Rights

New Atlanticist

Oct 21, 2018

Trump to pull plug on arms control treaty with Russia

By David A. Wemer

White House officials, especially National Security Advisor John Bolton, have been pushing to abandon the treaty as they believe it is limiting Washington’s ability to counter China’s growing nuclear arsenal in East Asia.

China Missile Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 19, 2018

Why Afghanistan’s parliamentary election matters

By Roshni Majumdar

Holding the election is “an important measure of progress that underscores how far Afghanistan’s nascent democracy has come,” said Javid Ahmad, a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center.

Afghanistan Democratic Transitions

New Atlanticist

Oct 19, 2018

State department official sounds warning on Russian, Chinese influence in Central and Eastern Europe

By David A. Wemer

“We must not see it as a foregone conclusion that countries will automatically remain friendly to America,” said A Wess Michell, assistant secretary for the US State Department Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

Central Europe Eastern Europe

Share

Issue briefs and reports