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.

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

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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 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

New Atlanticist

Jul 9, 2018

NATO Engages 2018

By David Wemer

As the heads of state and government from the twenty-nine NATO member states gather in Brussels on July 11 and 12, the Atlantic Council will co-host NATO Engages: The Brussels Summit Dialogue—the official high-profile outreach effort for the Alliance’s summit.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 9, 2018

Finally, peace in the Horn of Africa?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The summit between Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, on July 9 marked the first time that the neighbors’ heads of state have met in nearly two decades.

Eritrea Ethiopia

New Atlanticist

Jul 9, 2018

Not just a numbers game: NATO, women, and countering terrorism

By Diana De Vivo

The absence of a gender dimension in security, peace, and stability activities has forced women to sit on the sidelines of global stabilization and conflict resolution efforts.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 9, 2018

The Brexit Showdown

By Ashish Kumar Sen

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government was engulfed in turmoil on July 9 as she lost two senior Cabinet members over her plans for a soft Brexit. Within a span of twenty-four hours, David Davis resigned as Brexit secretary and Boris Johnson as foreign secretary. If forty-eight members of Parliament write letters of no confidence, […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jul 9, 2018

“NATO is at a Crucial Decision Point”

By GLOBSEC NATO Adaptation Team

Open letter to their Excellencies the gathered heads of state and government of the NATO nations from the GLOBSEC NATO Adaptation Team

NATO Security & Defense

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