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.

Trump’s North Korea Agreement Makes War More Likely

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 6, 2018

Trump’s North Korea Agreement Makes War More Likely

By Paul D. Miller

Few observers believe that the agreement signed between US President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12 will result in North Korea actually giving up its nuclear weapons. But, oddly, some observers—not just the administration’s boosters—have praised the agreement anyway because they argue it makes peace more likely. […]

Korea Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Jul 6, 2018

The Modern Alliance: Thirty Years of NATO Operations

By David Wemer

Since the election of US president Donald J. Trump, much attention has been focused on the defense spending of European NATO members and whether the Alliance has been “too costly for the United States,” as claimed by Trump. Long-standing burden-sharing concerns have morphed into larger disagreements on the value the United States gets from being […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 6, 2018

Six Facts You Should Know About NATO

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The heads of state and government of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member nations will meet in Brussels on July 11 and 12. US President Donald J. Trump will be among those present. Here are six facts you should know about the Alliance that has been credited with maintaining peace in Europe for the past […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 6, 2018

Complementarity Without Competition: How NATO Can Benefit from Stronger European Defense Cooperation

By Ulrik Trolle Smed

Despite the current political tension in the transatlantic bond, the facts on the ground for NATO’s summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12 could not be better. After years of calls from the United States for more defense investment, NATO allies have been responding ever more credibly to meet the rising threats in the […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jul 6, 2018

NATO Needs More Unmanned Aerial Systems

By Nicola Johnson and Jessie Ilkson

NATO faces an array of security threats from the Arctic in the north, Russia in the east, and migrant flows from the south, all of which demand a dynamic and flexible defense force. Although members of the Alliance have increased investment in defense, their focus has been on expensive technology for a potential high-end conflict. […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 5, 2018

Here’s why the United States needs NATO

By David Wemer

US President Donald J. Trump sent ripples through the transatlantic community after sending letters to NATO allies demanding that they spend more on their own defense. Trump’s stance appears to stem from the belief—shared by many in the United States—that European allies have long taken advantage of American military protection without making a fair contribution […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 5, 2018

NATO Should Invite Macedonia to Join the Alliance

By Sarah Bedenbaugh and Daniel Fried

On June 12, the prime ministers of Greece and Macedonia announced a historic agreement to settle a decades-long quarrel over Macedonia’s name. Leaders from around the world praised the Balkan neighbors for putting aside nationalist disputes. The deal is not yet done, however. Opposition to the agreement is strong in both countries. If the new […]

Greece NATO

New Atlanticist

Jul 5, 2018

The Gulf’s Soccer Showdown

By Owen Daniels

The World Cup’s knockout rounds are in full swing, and followers of Middle East soccer will now have to root for teams outside the region. Despite some compelling narratives – the dramatic politicization of Egyptian star Mo Salah, Iran’s rags-to-riches goalkeeper saving a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shrugging off his […]

Saudi Arabia The Gulf

New Atlanticist

Jul 5, 2018

How Europe’s Migration Crisis is Heating Up the Italy-Malta Relationship This Summer

By Matthew Lowell

The recent election of Italy’s new populist government led by the anti-immigration Lega political party and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement has added extra heat to the Mediterranean’s already sweltering summer. Over the past few weeks, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, the head of the Lega party, followed through on his election promise of preventing […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jul 4, 2018

Six Ways NATO Can Address the Russian Challenge

By Dominik Jankowski

Anti-Access/Area-Denial capabilities (A2/AD)—the ability to prevent an adversary from entering an area of land, sea, or air—have become a major component of military force postures for powers around the globe, but Russia is the most committed to advancing their development. Russian A2/AD capabilities are shaping NATO’s neighborhood and the Alliance needs a comprehensive strategy to […]

NATO Russia

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