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
Mar 6, 2025

How European leaders are responding to Trump’s approach to Ukraine and Europe

From London and Berlin to Paris and Brussels, European leaders have taken several notable steps this week on security. This follows the blow-up between the Ukrainian and US presidents on February 28.

New Atlanticist
Feb 26, 2025

Why the US should not lift sanctions against Russia

By
Charles Lichfield

Sanctions are having an unmistakable effect, albeit below the inflated expectations of many in the West in early 2022. Lifting them now would be a mistake.

Conflict
Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist
Mar 5, 2025

The Egyptian plan for postwar Gaza is a good starting point—but it needs changes

By
Thomas S. Warrick

While many obstacles remain, the Egyptian proposal could form the starting point for negotiations over a workable plan for postwar Gaza.

Conflict
Crisis Management

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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

Nov 21, 2013

Anxiety in the House of Saud

By Rajan Menon

You’d think that Saudi Arabia‘s ruling monarchy would have a lot to be happy about — and you’d be right, in part. The Saudi Kingdom has, barring some exceptions, been remarkably stable. It was left unscathed by the revolutionary wave that demolished longstanding authoritarian regimes from Tunisia to Egypt. The Saudi political system — being consensus-based and […]

Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Nov 20, 2013

US Maritime Power and Disaster Relief

By Derek S. Reveron

As post-typhoon operations in the Philippines illustrate, militaries do more than fight wars. Alongside the horrific photos from Tacloban, there are images of US cargo aircraft, helicopters, and service members delivering relief supplies and rescuing civilians.

Indo-Pacific United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Nov 20, 2013

Desperately Needed: A New Security Mindset for the Twenty-First Century

By Harlan Ullman

Since George Washington was America’s first commander-in-chief, successive administrations have often been accused of either lacking a strategy or having one that did not work. The major exceptions perhaps were the bipartisan policies of containment and deterrence that ultimately prevailed over the Soviet Union. The debate then focused more on means than on ends.

Emerging Defense Challenges

Nov 19, 2013

Ensuring America’s Defense Industrial Base Can Support Our Future National Security Needs

By Linda P. Hudson

On November 19, 2013 Linda P. Hudson, president and CEO of BAE Systems, spoke at the Atlantic Council as part of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security’s Captain’s of Industry Series.

New Atlanticist

Nov 19, 2013

American Hard Power, Delivered Softly

By Magnus Nordenman

Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest typhoon on record, has devastated the Philippines. Nearly four thousand people have been confirmed dead, and the casualty figure is mounting quickly. More than twelve thousand people have been injured and almost two million people have been displaced. The United States is responding by sending the George Washington carrier strike group […]

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2013

NATO’s Next Challenges

By Barry Pavel and Magnus Nordenman

NATO currently finds itself in a period of transition of strategic importance. The combat mission in Afghanistan, which has pre-occupied the Alliance for over a decade, is slowly but surely coming to a close, while transatlantic austerity has triggered significant cuts in defense budgets and a near-mad scramble to find ways to do more, or […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2013

Paying Any Price: Starting the Next Chapter of Military Compensation

By James Joyner

Over the last dozen years, America’s volunteer warriors have shouldered the burden of multiple deployments to two combat zones, risking death and permanent injury while enduring long separation from their loved ones. As we shift into a peacetime mindset and cope with budget austerity, we’re looking at ways to save money on defense, including reforming […]

United States and Canada

Congressional Relations

Nov 15, 2013

Progress in Iran Nuclear Talks Makes Some US Allies Nervous

By Barbara Slavin

Talks between six world powers and Iran resume next week in Geneva but the real drama may be occurring elsewhere as the United States tries to reassure Congress and nervous allies that an emerging deal is better than no agreement.

Iran

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2013

US Ambivalence and Security Assistance

By Derek S. Reveron

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wrote recently in the New York Times, “In spite of the terrorist threats we face, we are not asking for American boots on the ground. Rather, we urgently want to equip our own forces with the weapons they need to fight terrorism, including helicopters and other military aircraft so that […]

Iraq

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2013

The Case for Japanese Militarization

By Kathryn Alexeeff

The ongoing dispute between China and Japan in the South China Seas has led to increased focus on the future of Japanese security. Since the end of World War II, Japan’s constitution has forbidden it from developing a military, but Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has indicated his desire to develop a more active security role for Japan. As the United […]

China Indo-Pacific

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