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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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

Nov 25, 2013

Now for the hard part

By Matthew Kroenig

Early Sunday morning in Geneva, the P5+1 and Iran announced that they had reached an interim deal on Iran’s nuclear program. Many are heralding the agreement as an historic breakthrough, and the deal does indeed buy us time, but it is much too early to declare victory. Indeed, the Iranian nuclear crisis might still very […]

Iran
Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Nov 24, 2013

Iran Nuclear Deal: Three Questions with Ambassador Nick Burns

By Nicholas Burns

Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program on Sunday in exchange for initial sanctions relief. Sounds like good news to many, who say the detente between Tehran and the West could help avoid war in the Middle East. But of course nothing is that easy, and already Israel has called the step a “historic mistake.” Which […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Nov 23, 2013

Statement By The President On First Step Agreement On Iran’s Nuclear Program

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Today, the United States — together with our close allies and partners — took an important first step toward a comprehensive solution that addresses our concerns with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program. Since I took office, I’ve made clear my determination to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Nov 21, 2013

EU Needs to Rethink its Eastern Partnership Policy

By Taras Kuzio

The EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP), unveiled four years ago to build better neighbourly relations with six former Soviet republics, is in crisis. The EaP was launched by EU members such as Sweden and Poland (with the backing of Britain) keen to promote enlargement into the former USSR. Although with this not possible due to widespread […]

Eastern Europe
European Union

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

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