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 19, 2017

A Widening Gulf

By Owen Daniels

Qatar crisis creates a headache for the United States Nearly two months in, the diplomatic crisis between the Arab Gulf states is growing ever more complicated. The July 16 Washington Post report that cites unnamed US intelligence officials as claiming that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) precipitated the diplomatic row with Qatar by hacking Qatari […]

International Organizations Iran

New Atlanticist

Jul 19, 2017

First Signs of Second Thoughts on Brexit

By Reginald Dale

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government began substantive negotiations to leave the European Union (EU) in Brussels this week, although nobody in Britain is yet clear about what outcome the country is actually seeking. With May’s government in disarray, and her Cabinet wracked with infighting and confusion over Brexit, there is even a growing belief […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jul 18, 2017

A Question for Washington: Who in the GCC Finances Terrorism?

By Giorgio Cafiero and Daniel Wagner

Journalists in Middle Eastern media outlets have been engaged in harsh mudslinging ever since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Bahrain (aka the quartet) severed diplomatic and economic relations with Qatar in June over Doha’s alleged support for the Islamic State (ISIS), al Qaeda, and Iranian-backed militias in numerous Arab states. Although […]

International Organizations Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Jul 18, 2017

Alternative Futures: Rethinking the European Nuclear Posture

By Alexandra Marksteiner

Lingering uncertainty regarding US support for NATO and burden-sharing among allies has raised questions as to the future of the NATO nuclear-sharing arrangement. While US President Donald J. Trump’s reaffirmation of the US commitment to Article 5, NATO’s mutual defense clause, may have temporarily placated allies, intense feelings of insecurity among the European allies remain. […]

Nuclear Nonproliferation Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 17, 2017

Qatar Crisis Gets Mired in Mixed Messages

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Mixed messages from US President Donald J. Trump’s administration and an apparent belief in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that they have the ear of the White House have exacerbated the crisis between the United States’ Arab Gulf partners, according to Richard LeBaron, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The crisis […]

Saudi Arabia The Gulf

New Atlanticist

Jul 17, 2017

Fighting Back: What Options Does the United States Have to Respond to Cyberattacks?

By Adam Petno

In the wake of the recent WannaCry and Petya ransomware attacks, cyber warfare has once again made mainstream news headlines. With cyberattacks becoming increasingly common, it becomes important to understand the options the United States has in dealing with these kinds of attacks. Petya, though in many ways similar to WannaCry and other ransomware attacks, […]

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 17, 2017

Building Europe’s Capital Markets

By Barbara C. Matthews

European finance ministers meeting in Brussels on July 11 endorsed a number of significant new policy initiatives in an attempt to accelerate the development of European capital markets over the next six months. These initiatives point to a policy priority that aims to strengthen European banks. While concerns regarding the United Kingdom’s expected departure from […]

New Atlanticist

Jul 14, 2017

Is it Time to Take Sudan Off the State Sponsors of Terrorism List?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council report recommends review of designation as part of an effort to energize ties US President Donald J. Trump’s administration should conduct a long-overdue review of the designation of Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism, according to a new report from the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. The Clinton administration designated Sudan a state […]

East Africa Sudan

New Atlanticist

Jul 14, 2017

Maduro Consolidates Power in Venezuela

By Sara Van Velkinburgh

Venezuela is undergoing a period of profound crisis. Protests occur on a daily basis in every major city in the country. Thousands of Venezuelans have fled in search of economic opportunities and stability. In response, the government has taken drastic measures, including proposing a rewrite of the constitution. In a sign that the crisis may […]

Venezuela

New Atlanticist

Jul 14, 2017

In Brazil’s Fight Against Corruption, Legislative and Judicial Reforms Must Follow

By Roberta Braga

Since 2015, Brazilians have seen former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s name in the headlines, and not for the reasons that led him to be considered one of the most popular world leaders from 2003 to 2011. Over the past two years, Lula, as Brazilians call him, has gotten more entangled in the web […]

Brazil

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