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
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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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

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

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