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 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

New Atlanticist

Mar 15, 2018

7 Things to Know About the Past 7 Years of War in Syria

By Rachel Ansley

When protests erupted against Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria in 2011, no one could have anticipated the level of violence, trauma, and devastation that would result from that uprising over the next seven years. The Syrian civil war began on March 15, 2011. The conflict has been fought by a constellation of rebel groups and […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Mar 15, 2018

Bashar al-Assad: A Profile of a Mass Murderer

By Carmen Gentile

March 15 marks the seventh year of the Syrian uprising, which at its start resembled other protests across the Middle East known then as the Arab Spring. A harsh crackdown by the Syrian regime transformed those student-led demonstrations into an armed uprising that has left hundreds of thousands dead, with some estimates as high as […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Mar 14, 2018

Britain Expels Russian Diplomats Over Attempted Assassination. Is that Enough?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

British Prime Minister Theresa May on March 14 expelled twenty-three Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts with Moscow after blaming Russia for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter in the United Kingdom. The expulsion, which May described as the largest in more than thirty years, will add further strain to an already tense […]

Russia United Kingdom

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