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.

Abe Speech May Exorcize the Ghosts of History

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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Our experts decipher and annotate major speeches and policy documents to break down big ideas and lay them out in plain language.

New Atlanticist

Aug 14, 2015

Abe Speech May Exorcize the Ghosts of History

By Robert A. Manning

In an Asia haunted by the ghosts of history, the world was watching with baited breath to see how Japan’s nationalistic Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, would address the seventieth anniversary of the end of World War II. To the surprise of many, Abe’s Cabinet-approved speech was an amply dignified and contrite effort that attempted to […]

Japan

New Atlanticist

Aug 13, 2015

Of Rights and Wrongs in Cuba

By Ashish Kumar Sen

United States must continue to press Castro government on human rights, says Atlantic Council’s Peter Schechter The Obama administration must use the new opening in its relationship with Cuba to continue to press the government in Havana to respect human rights, says the Atlantic Council’s Peter Schechter. Cuban dissidents were conspicuous by their absence from […]

Cuba

New Atlanticist

Aug 13, 2015

Combating Inaction in Europe’s Migrant ‘Crisis’

By Alexa Lipke

The tragedy on August 6, when hundreds of migrants drowned after their boat capsized off the coast of Libya, is eerily familiar. It parallels the story of the 800 deaths in April that brought the migrant crisis to the forefront of the political debate in Europe. While media and public interest has ebbed and flowed […]

Europe & Eurasia European Union

New Atlanticist

Aug 12, 2015

Al Qaeda Affiliate Gets Out of the Way in Syria

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Nusra Front’s decision to leave frontlines against ISIS facilitates a US-Turkish agreement on a safe zone in northern Syria, says Atlantic Council’s Faysal Itani By deciding to quit frontline positions against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in northern Syria, al Qaeda-affiliate Nusra Front has made a US-Turkish agreement on establishing a safe […]

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Aug 11, 2015

Afghan Peace Process: DOA?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Pakistan can do more on terrorist groups, says Atlantic Council Senior Fellow James B. Cunningham Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is right, Pakistan can do more to disrupt terrorist networks that plan and carry out attacks across the border in Afghanistan, says Atlantic Council Senior Fellow James B. Cunningham. A broad spectrum of terrorist and criminal […]

Afghanistan Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Aug 11, 2015

Is Turkey’s War on PKK Hurting US Alliance Against ISIS?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s Francis J. Ricciardone says Turkey is making a distinction between Kurdish groups in Iraq and Syria The US-Turkish alliance against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) complicates but need not impede, and might even ease, the United States’ military partnership with a Syria-based Kurdish group that has been instrumental in the […]

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Aug 10, 2015

Will Europe Continue to Stand with the United States if Congress Rejects Iran Nuclear Deal?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Supporters of nuclear agreement say United States will be ‘worse off’ if Congress rejects agreement A steadfast alliance between United States and Europe—epitomized by a crippling sanctions regime—is widely credited with having brought Iran to the point where it was willing to consider curbs on its nuclear ambitions. But what would happen to that united […]

China European Union

New Atlanticist

Aug 10, 2015

Delivering Energy and the Nuclear Deal with Iran

By Alan Riley

Iran should join the Energy Charter to boost oil flows and reassure the world that it intends to comply with the nuclear deal Iran should join the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). Joining the ECT, the world’s multilateral energy investment treaty, would encourage greater energy investment flows into Iran leading to a more rapid increase in […]

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

New Atlanticist

Aug 6, 2015

Correcting Obama’s Iran speech

By Matthew Kroenig

Like much political rhetoric, President Barack Obama’s speech in defense of the Iran nuclear deal at American University August 5 contained trenchant insights, but also falsehoods and half-truths. This blog post aims to correct several of the speech’s most erroneous claims. 1. Obama admits the deal doesn’t solve many problems, but he maintains that it […]

Iran National Security

New Atlanticist

Aug 5, 2015

Obama Gives Passionate Defense of Iran Nuclear Deal

By Barbara Slavin

When President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize shortly after taking office in 2009, he was the first to admit that the honor was premature. Compared to historical giants like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela, Obama told the Nobel committee, his own accomplishments had been “slight.” But as the first US […]

Iran National Security

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