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.

Obama Updates Security Strategy for a Changing 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

Stay updated

Explore our unique analysis

Fast Thinking

When major global news breaks, the Atlantic Council’s experts have you covered—delivering their sharpest rapid insight and forward-looking analysis direct to your inbox.

Experts React

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.

Markup

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

President Barack Obama hands a diploma to one of about 1,000 graduating cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, on May 28. Obama’s commencement address is one of several the White House plans to lay out his foreign policy vision for the remainder of his term in office. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

New Atlanticist

May 28, 2014

Obama Updates Security Strategy for a Changing World

By Barry Pavel

President, at West Point, Signals a Shift Toward Partnerships in Fighting Terrorism While there was much continuity in President Barack Obama’s West Point speech today, at least three new emphases represent an administration that is both learning the foreign and defense policy lessons of its tenure as well as reappraising where the world is headed […]

New Atlanticist

May 28, 2014

EU’s Strengthened Political Parties May Soon Be the ‘Leading Instrument’ of Putin’s Europe Policy

By New Atlanticist

Now that Europeans have given more seats in their continental parliament to the far-right and far-left parties that want to significantly weaken the European Union, there will be some changes in Brussels, writes Damon Wilson in a posting today. “Will the EU Vote Bury Foreign Policy?” asks Judy Dempsey, European affairs analyst at Carnegie Europe, […]

Elections
Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Ukraine News Roundup | May 26

By Irena Chalupa

The planned May 25th vote proceeded with little incident. Elections for the European Parliament were held across the continent this weekend, too. These reads encompass both.

Ukraine

Petro Poroshenko tells reporters he will not negotiate with Russian-backed secessionist militias as a nearly complete vote count showed him winning Ukraine's presidency. REUTERS/David Mdzinarashvili

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Poroshenko’s Task: Halt Rebellion and Bankruptcy, Then Fix the System

By Irena Chalupa

In declaring victory yesterday as Ukraine’s president-elect, Petro Poroshenko is preparing to take the helm of a country whose economy is broken, its political system dysfunctional, three of its provinces either occupied or terrorized by Russian soldiers or proxy forces. The leaders of its huge, aggressive neighbor bluntly say that Ukraine shouldn’t really exist as […]

Elections
Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Early Challenges for Ukraine’s Next President: Corruption and Russian-led Insurrection

By New Atlanticist

Ukraine’s Poroshenko ‘is His Own Think Tank,’ Confident in Making Decisions As business magnate and former foreign and economy minister Petro Poroshenko claimed victory in Ukraine’s presidential election, Atlantic Council analysts Adrian Karatnycky and Sabine Freizer offered early thoughts on his road ahead. Freizer, a senior fellow at the Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, wrote […]

Russia
Ukraine

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Europe’s Election: The Roots and the Message of the Anti-EU Vote

By Stefano Stefanini

The 2014 vote for the European Parliament reflects a European Union at a critical juncture. The voter turnout, at about 43 percent, is the same as in 2009, thus halting its long decline. The traditional parties, the European People’s Party, the Social Democrats, the Liberals, will hold the largest number of seats. Outside the mainstream, […]

Elections
Europe & Eurasia

Presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko (left) and Kyiv mayoral candidate Vitali Klitschko celebrate after claiming victory in the May 25 elections. Klitschko withdrew from the presidential race and allied his UDAR party (the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform) with Poroshenko’s candidacy. Both men are seen as centrists. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Ukraine’s Voters Give a Chance to Poroshenko and Klitschko

By Damon Wilson

Businessman and Boxer Now Must Show They Can Fight Corruption and Govern Effectively Despite the Russian-led separatists’ efforts to disrupt Ukraine’s elections, Ukrainians went to the polls in large numbers and decisively elected Petro Poroshenko as president. Residents of Kyiv decisively elected Vitaliy Klitschko as mayor. These victories are significant for Ukraine’s European prospects. Specifically, […]

Russia
Ukraine

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

A Hollow Victory for Europe’s Center Right

By Fran Burwell

‘This election … should be a wake-up call for national leaders’ of Europe The establishment parties in the European Union are patting themselves on the back, claiming they have reversed the trend toward low participation and that the main parties have retained their dominance of the European Parliament. These facts are true – but barely. […]

Elections
Europe & Eurasia

Former economy and foreign minister Petro Poroshenko speaks to supporters in front of a display of exit poll results for himself and other candidates in Ukraine’s presidential election, May 25. Poroshenko claimed victory after exit polls gave him an absolute majority in the vote. REUTERS/Stringer

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

Ukraine’s Election is a Step Toward Normalcy; The Next Move is Russia’s

By John Herbst

If Moscow Keeps Backing Rebels in Southeast Ukraine, Kyiv Must Rely on its Army Ukraine took a major step toward normalcyand political stability with an orderly and largely peaceful vote in the May 25 presidential election. Turnout was at least adequate, despite the strenuous efforts by Russian-led insurgents in the East to disrupt the vote. […]

Russia
Ukraine

New Atlanticist

May 26, 2014

European Parliament Elections Strengthen Far-Right Parties and Russia

By Damon Wilson

Despite the Headlines, the Center Holds in the EU Legislature Europe’s political establishment is reeling from the earthquake of victories by anti-European Union parties of the far right and left. These have come in the United Kingdom (UK Independence Party, or UKIP), France (Front National), Greece (Syrzia), Austria (Freedom Party) and Denmark (although the People’s […]

Economy & Business
Elections

Share

Issue briefs and reports