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 9, 2018

A Trail of Broken Ceasefires in Syria

By Faysal Itani

Though ostensibly a tool to pause fighting between regime and rebel forces in Syria, the latest ceasefire attempt on February 26 collapsed in less than two hours. This was in fact a Russian-supported “humanitarian pause,” intended to last five hours and allow aid to reach the besieged inhabitants of the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus. […]

Syria

New Atlanticist

Mar 9, 2018

Trump and North Korea: From ‘Fire and Fury’ to Diplomacy

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Last summer, US President Donald J. Trump threatened to unleash “fire and fury” on North Korea if it endangered the United States. A few months later, he derided North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as “Little Rocket Man” and said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was wasting his time attempting to negotiate with the regime […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 9, 2018

#MeToo Emboldens Women in Brussels

By Teri Schultz

While #MeToo was born in the United States, it quickly sparked a sister movement in Europe, #MeTooEU. Brussels was shocked by the outpouring of stories of abuse and aggression against women—predominantly emanating out of the European Parliament—and the apathy with which their complaints had been handled through official channels. On this International Women’s Day, there […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2018

A Beginner’s Guide to Battling Fake News: Three Approaches to Consider Before ‘Sharing’

By Roberta Braga

While the influence of Russian disinformation in democratic processes featured prominently in conversations surrounding major election cycles in Europe throughout 2017-2018, another region, further from the Kremlin’s backyard, now faces its own fight against false narratives. In Latin America, a region that will see three major elections in 2018, the concept of fake news has […]

Brazil Colombia

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2018

Trump’s Tough Approach to Ethiopia

By Rachel Ansley

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson traveled to Ethiopia this week to underscore US support for a crucial partner that finds itself in a crisis. Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned unexpectedly on February 15 in the wake of violent anti-government protests. The government then imposed a nationwide state of emergency that lawmakers endorsed earlier […]

Ethiopia

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2018

The Electoral Crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Majda Ruge

Last week, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Zeljana Zovko appealed through the Atlantic Council’s New Atlanticist blog to the US administration for greater engagement on the politically contentious issue of electoral reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), as closed-door negotiations between political parties continue. As a former BiH diplomat and an elected MEP from […]

The Balkans

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2018

A Tale of Two Transitions

By Ellen Scholl

Germany may have gained a grand coalition this week, but it lost one of the champions of its clean energy transition—the Energiewende—with the resignation of former State Secretary for Energy Rainer Baake. The Grand Coalition between Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) was approved by the SPD voters by a margin […]

Germany

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2018

Angela Merkel: Time for a Legacy

By Frances G. Burwell

Now that the new German government has been approved by the political parties and can finally begin work, it is time for Angela Merkel to think about her own agenda for the next few years. At the start of her fourth—and presumably last—term as chancellor, she is politically weaker than she has been before, and […]

European Union Germany

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2018

Here’s How the United States and Europe Should Counter Disinformation

By Rachel Ansley

Any US or European response to the ongoing issue of disinformation must not exploit the openness of a democratic society, but work within its boundaries to ensure transparency of information, according to the Atlantic Council’s Daniel Fried. “We have to fight disinformation within the norms of our government,” said Fried, a distinguished fellow in the […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2018

Italian Election Puts Europe in Uncharted Waters

By Louis Golino

Italy’s March 5 parliamentary election, in which anti-establishment parties won half of the vote, has caused a political earthquake with the potential to reshape Italy, Europe’s future, and even how populism impacts democracy. Traditional political forces on the left and center are foundering. What will take their place remains to be seen both within Italy […]

European Union International Organizations

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