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

Mar 21, 2018

Bringing Sudan In From The Cold

By Kelsey Lilley

After decades of frozen relations with the United States, Sudan is poised to come in from the cold. Following the October 2017 relaxation of longstanding sanctions, Sudan appears eager to continue US engagement. However, since October, momentum for next steps toward improving the bilateral relationship has slowed. The US-Sudan relationship is imperfect, and there are […]

Sudan

New Atlanticist

Mar 20, 2018

Russia’s Attack in the UK: the Other Beast From the East

By Andrew Marshall

The attempted murder of a former Russian intelligence officer in the United Kingdom (UK) has not only triggered reprisals from London, but more importantly demonstrated how easy it has been to drive wedges into Western politics. Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a nerve agent created by […]

Russia United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Mar 20, 2018

Putin’s ‘Election’ And Why It’s Time for the West to Get Its Act Together

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Vladimir Kara-Murza bristles when the words “election” and “Vladimir Putin” are strung together in the same sentence. “There are many ways to describe what happened in Russia [on March 18]. Election is not one of them,” said the Russian opposition figure who, despite surviving two apparent poisonings, remains an ardent critic of Russian President Vladimir […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 19, 2018

Full Speed Ahead to Brexit?

By Bart J. Oosterveld, Jörn Fleck, and Álvaro Morales Salto-Weis

Brexit may not be avoidable after all. The United Kingdom and the European Union (EU) announced on March 19 that they have agreed on a “large part” of an agreement that would result in Britain leaving the EU.

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Mar 17, 2018

What Not to Expect from the Saudi Crown Prince

By Richard LeBaron

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the United States has energized the commentariat in Washington. Rarely have I seen more Middle East experts opining excitedly on the personality of and prospects for an Arab leader, on the significant change he has already brought to Saudi Arabia, and on the need to support his […]

International Organizations Iran

New Atlanticist

Mar 17, 2018

Saudi Crown Prince Comes to Washington: 5 Things to Watch

By Owen Daniels

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) will arrive in Washington on March 19 for a visit to the United States that includes stops in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, and Houston. In Washington, the crown prince will meet US President Donald J. Trump at the White House on March 20. He will […]

Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Mar 17, 2018

The Battle Over Nord Stream II

By Rachel Ansley

Despite US sanctions, the Kremlin’s pursuit of a free hand to maintain dominance over Europe’s energy market by using Nord Stream II has sparked fierce debate among Western democracies over the importance of the proposed pipeline. “This is not about a pipeline,” said Agnia Grigas, a nonresident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 16, 2018

Here’s What to Expect From Yet Another Putin Presidency

By Anders Åslund

Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for the past eighteen years, is set to rule for another six. It is almost predictable how he will act over the course of his next term in office. Putin has constructed a regime based on personal authoritarianism. This regime does not depend on ideology, party or family, but […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 15, 2018

US Imposes Sanctions on Russia Over Election Meddling

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President Donald J. Trump’s administration on March 15 announced new sanctions on Russian individuals and organizations in response to Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and cyberattacks, including attempts to the hack the US energy grid. This is the most significant action by the Trump administration against Russia to date. The sanctions target […]

Russia United States and Canada

US President Donald J. Trump has nominated Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo (pictured) to serve as the next US Secretary of State. Pompeo, whose parents came to the United States from Italy, is being greeted in Europe with caution and concern. (Reuters/Eric Thayer)

New Atlanticist

Mar 15, 2018

A Storm is Brewing in Transatlantic Relations

By Louis Golino

Recent events in Washington, especially the nomination by US President Donald J. Trump of Mike Pompeo to be the next secretary of state and US imposition of tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, combined with a Europe that is politically weakened and internally focused, are helping create what may become the worst divergence in the […]

European Union International Organizations

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