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.

Italian Voters Deal Leadership Blow to Europe

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

Dec 6, 2016

Italian Voters Deal Leadership Blow to Europe

By Rachel Ansley

The victory of the “no” vote in the Italian referendum is not simply a rejection of reform, but will result in a significant loss of leadership on the European stage with the resignation of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, according to Andrea Montanino, director of the Global Business and Economics Program at the Atlantic Council. Montanino, […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Dec 6, 2016

Domestic Reforms Must Be a Priority for France

France occupies a unique geopolitical position and can positively influence Europe’s trajectory, but first it must undertake significant domestic reforms, Jérémie Gallon, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Future Europe Initiative, said in a Facebook Live discussion on December 6. Gallon joined Jeffrey Lightfoot, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Brent […]

France

New Atlanticist

Dec 6, 2016

Why Does the Transatlantic Relationship Matter?

The transatlantic economic relationship, defined by mutual investment and international cooperation, is fundamental to the well-being of citizens on both sides of the Atlantic, David O’Sullivan, the European Union’s ambassador to the United States, said in a Facebook Live discussion on December 6. O’Sullivan joined Anthony Gardner, the US ambassador to the European Union (EU), […]

New Atlanticist

Dec 6, 2016

Taking Stock of the Challenge Posed by Russia

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US representative to the OSCE, Daniel B. Baer, responds to European call for arms control talks with Moscow The United States shares European concerns about the erosion of Russian compliance with international treaties, but “it is not self-evident that the way forward is new commitments,” as has been proposed by the foreign ministers of fourteen […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Dec 5, 2016

Austria Votes for Europe, But It’s Too Soon to Celebrate

By Alina Polyakova

On December 5, Austrians voted against far-right populism and for Europe. Norbert Hofer, the presidential candidate of Austria’s right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ), conceded the election to Alexander Van der Bellen, former head of the Greens who ran as an independent. Van der Bellen ran an unabashedly pro-European Union (EU) campaign at a time when the […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Dec 2, 2016

Dispatch from Berlin

By Jasmine El-Gamal

An undercurrent of apprehension regarding global affairs and concern in the aftermath of the US presidential elections defined the 6th Berlin Foreign Policy Forum, held on November 29 by the Körber Foundation in Berlin, Germany. In a wide-ranging and deeply contemplative dialogue, Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s Federal Minister of Finance, made the case for a strong […]

Germany

New Atlanticist

Dec 2, 2016

The Gambia Votes: A Rare Victory for Democracy in Africa?

By Kelsey Lilley

The results from The Gambia’s presidential election, which pitted opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate Adama Barrow against longtime president, Yahya Jammeh, made history as they trickled in late at night on December 1. The small West African country, bound on three sides by Senegal, has been ruled for more than two decades by the […]

Africa

New Atlanticist

Dec 2, 2016

Can the Iran Nuclear Deal Survive Donald Trump?

By Giorgio Cafiero and Daniel Wagner

Donald Trump’s election as the next president of the United States has created uncertainty for the future of the nuclear deal with Iran. On the campaign trail, Trump made no secret of his opposition to the deal—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, even if Trump’s administration retards the implementation of […]

China European Union

New Atlanticist

Dec 2, 2016

Mosul Will Be Remembered As a Turning Point

By Tyler Nocita

The US-led coalition offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city and the final major foothold of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Iraq, has progressed slowly but positively over the course of the past month. However, questions still remain whether the offensive, Operation Inherent Resolve, will prove to be a coalition of […]

Iraq

New Atlanticist

Dec 2, 2016

A Referendum on Renzi

A “yes” vote in the Italian referendum on December 4 will reinforce Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, bolstering his leadership in the face of rising populism throughout Europe and enabling his efforts to encourage economic growth, said Andrea Montanino, director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Business and Economics Program, in a Facebook live discussion on December […]

Italy

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