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.

Japan’s Energy Strategy for a Post-Fukushima World

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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Dive deep into developing stories, guided by continually updated expert analysis that leaves you better informed about the most pressing global issues behind the headlines.

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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

Jul 24, 2015

Japan’s Energy Strategy for a Post-Fukushima World

By Anand Raghuraman

In June, Japanese energy officials released an eagerly anticipated draft report outlining plans for the country’s 2030 energy mix. Here’s the proposed breakdown:

Japan

New Atlanticist

Jul 23, 2015

Obama’s ‘Most Strategic Itinerary’ in Africa

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s J. Peter Pham says President has important reasons to visit Kenya and Ethiopia US President Barack Obama’s decision to visit Kenya and Ethiopia this week underscores the strategic significance of these two sub-Saharan nations to the United States, says the Atlantic Council’s top Africa analyst. Obama arrives in Kenya, his late father’s homeland, […]

Africa East Africa

New Atlanticist

Jul 23, 2015

Mexico’s Inaugural Bid Round: What Happened and What’s Next?

By David Goldwyn and Cory Gill

On July 15, 2015, Mexico announced the results of the first phase of “Round One,” or a series of auctions providing foreign companies access to oil and gas acreage after over seventy-five years of state control of upstream exploration and production. Only two of the fourteen shallow water blocks on offer were awarded—far below the […]

Mexico

New Atlanticist

Jul 22, 2015

Nigerian President Slams US Law

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Buhari says legislation that curbs US military aid is abetting Boko Haram insurgency Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari—at war with Boko Haram militants at home—in a July 22 address in Washington lashed out at US laws that ban the sale of weapons to foreign militaries accused of human rights violations saying such restrictions have only aided […]

Economy & Business Nigeria

New Atlanticist

Jul 22, 2015

Communications, Public Diplomacy, and National Security

By Mark Seip

Part One: Understanding the evolution of audiences (Note: This article is taken from a forthcoming report by the Atlantic Council on public diplomacy and its role in national security due to be released this fall.) Much has been written about public diplomacy in the 21st century and its need to evolve. In order to do […]

Europe After The Vote

Jul 21, 2015

The Greek Debt Crisis—Latest Developments

By Demetrios Papageorgiou

This time last week, Greece faced an ultimatum: enact a laundry list of economic reforms—known as “prior actions”—by July 15 in order to start negotiations on the country’s third financing program in five years, or face expulsion from the nineteen-member currency union. Determined to keep the euro, even in the face of new austerity, the […]

Greece

New Atlanticist

Jul 21, 2015

Taking the War on the Islamic State Online

By Alexa Lipke

The media frenzy surrounding the rise of the Islamic State (IS) focuses heavily on the United States’ military strategy. But since IS’ influence transcends the battlefields of Iraq and Syria, it is equally important that the United States develop a coherent strategy to counter the group’s social media reach. The twenty-four-hour news cycle and the […]

New Atlanticist

Jul 21, 2015

Presidential Election in Burundi Underscores International Community’s Failure to Engage

By Kelsey Lilley

Residents of the small, central African nation of Burundi are voting July 21 to elect their next President. The election takes place after nearly three months of sometimes-violent protests and clashes both between rival groups and between demonstrators and Burundian police, sparked by current President Pierre Nkurunziza’s controversial third-term bid. In mid-May, an attempted coup […]

Africa East Africa

New Atlanticist

Jul 20, 2015

Georgia Needs a Shorter Path for Membership in NATO, not a MAP

By Mamuka Tsereteli

The Warsaw summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has a chance to become another milestone in the history of the organization, if the alliance chooses to take the next step forward towards further enlargement. There are several aspirant countries expecting bold decisions. Georgia is one of them. The Georgian government is taking a […]

NATO Russia

New Atlanticist

Jul 17, 2015

United States, Cuba Reopen Embassies After Fifty-Four Years. Here’s Why it Matters

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council analysts discuss historic opportunity presented by reopening of embassies in Washington and Havana The United States and Cuba reopened embassies in each other’s capitals July 20 taking the biggest step toward ending half a century of animosity between the two countries. US Secretary of State John F. Kerry hosted Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno […]

Cuba

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