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

Jun 10, 2016

Challenging Putin at the Ballot Box

By Mitch Hulse

Russian opposition leader cites importance of participation in parliamentary elections In a climate of repression and authoritarianism institutionalized by Russian President Vladimir Putin, opposition parties “must use every opportunity to challenge” the Kremlin even if it means participating in a “flawed and truncated election process,” according to a Russian opposition leader.

Elections Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Jun 9, 2016

Energy Security is No Monkey Business

By Brenda Shaffer

A monkey prancing on an electricity transformer caused a nationwide power outage in Kenya on June 7. The incident is a reminder of the vulnerability of our energy infrastructure. Policies to protect such infrastructure tend to focus on preventing terrorist attacks on pipelines and power stations. But, as the incident in Kenya has shown, even […]

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

New Atlanticist

Jun 9, 2016

Great Expectations: Aspirant Nations See NATO Enlargement as Vital to Europe’s Stability

By Mitch Hulse

NATO membership for countries in the Balkans and for Georgia is crucial for the stability of Europe and will send a clear signal that Russia does not have a veto over the alliance’s enlargement plans, panelists, including officials from Macedonia and Georgia, said at the Atlantic Council on June 8.

European Union Greece

New Atlanticist

Jun 9, 2016

Keep Door Open to Russia: Breedlove

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe advocates establishing a line of communications with Moscow It is important not to close the door to Russia, which is led by a man whose number one goal is to create rifts within NATO and the European Union, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, Gen. Philip M. […]

NATO Poland

New Atlanticist

Jun 8, 2016

NATO Enlargement Seen About Filling Gaps

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Montenegro’s defense minister, Milica Pejanović-Đurišić, has some advice for countries aspiring to join NATO: explain to partners and friends the importance of alliance membership from a political standpoint. Pejanović-Đurišić is well positioned to give such advice. In December 2015, NATO extended an invitation to Montenegro to begin accession talks and become the twenty-ninth member of […]

NATO Russia

New Atlanticist

Jun 8, 2016

Eritrea and the Commission of Inquiry: What Happens Next?

By Bronwyn Bruton

As expected, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea (the COIE) has recommended to the Human Rights Council that Eritrea be referred to the International Criminal Court and that the human rights situation in Eritrea constitutes a threat to international peace and security.

New Atlanticist

Jun 7, 2016

What the UN Gets Wrong About Rights in Eritrea

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A finding of crimes against humanity would be indefensible, said the Atlantic Council’s Bronwyn Bruton A UN panel’s expected conclusion that crimes against humanity are being committed in Eritrea would be legally indefensible because of the flawed methodology in the compilation of the report and would further erode the credibility of the International Criminal Court […]

Eritrea

New Atlanticist

Jun 7, 2016

Tunisia Seen Key to Regional Prosperity

By Mitch Hulse

Tunisia’s democratic transition and economic growth can lead to security and stability in a volatile neighborhood, according to a US government official. “A successful Tunisia benefits not only the Tunisian people but enhances security, prosperity, and influence in the region as well,” Paige Alexander, assistant administrator for the Bureau for the Middle East at the […]

North Africa

New Atlanticist

Jun 7, 2016

The Foreign Policy of New Energy

By Thomas Cunningham

The geopolitics of oil and gas are on one hand; climate change negotiations are on the other. The next set of energy-foreign policy challenges will be somewhere in the middle. The global energy landscape is characterized by constant change, and every energy issue has foreign policy implications. Therefore, the speed and effectiveness with which an […]

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

New Atlanticist

Jun 3, 2016

Atlantic Council Honors Champions of Freedom

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Recipients of the Atlantic Council’s Freedom Awards on June 3 delivered impassioned pleas to safeguard the freedoms they have dedicated their lives to protect. “By criminalizing forms of expression, unintentionally or otherwise, we risk pushing people into the welcoming arms of extremists,” said Nighat Dad, a Pakistani Internet activist and founder of Digital Rights Foundation. “Covering our […]

Syria

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