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.

Protecting the East Coast from Iranian Missiles

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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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.

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2013

Protecting the East Coast from Iranian Missiles

By Ian Brzezinski

In the wake of the government shutdown’s interruption of fiscal 2014 budget deliberations, Congress still faces tough decisions about national defense priorities. One controversial issue that will resurface shortly is the need to protect the East Coast from the threat of Iran’s growing ballistic-missile capability. When it does so, Washington should avoid repeating what has been an unnecessarily bipolar debate […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2013

Spying: It’s What’s For Dinner

By Alex Ward

Back in September, Brazil’s President Dilma Rouseff canceled her state visit to the United States, which included the rare honor of a state dinner, because she was “incensed over a series of reports that the NSA tapped her personal communications.” This, of course, was only one grievance among many as it was revealed the United States spies on […]

Brazil
Germany

New Atlanticist

Nov 6, 2013

Eastern Partnerships Pose Deep Challenges for European Union

By Sarah Bedenbaugh

On November 5, Miroslav Lajčák, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, was the featured speaker at the Atlantic Council’s event, EU’s Eastern Partnership: The Vilnius Summit and Beyond. Minister Lajčák’s visit to Washington comes only three short weeks before the European Union (EU) and the six former […]

Eastern Europe
European Union

New Atlanticist

Nov 4, 2013

What Will a New Army Chief Mean for Pakistan and the Neighborhood?

By Shuja Nawaz

Since it was announced last month that Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, would be retiring, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has kept the country dangling on his choice, creating a new parlor game for the chattering classes in the process. General Kayani has been characteristically mum, except for an unusual press release that said he was […]

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 1, 2013

Eurozone at the Crossroads

By Jordan Smith

For decades, European Union nations have walked a constitutional tightrope, refusing to make the ultimate choice between their core sovereignty and the merging of powers necessary to construct a viable European polity. The recent financial hurricane unleashed by the dangerous combination of poor regulation, too much debt, and weak leadership has brought Europe’s constitutional balancing […]

European Union
International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Nov 1, 2013

A New Honeymoon for the United States and Pakistan?

By Shuja Nawaz

A relationship that has been described as a rollercoaster ride or tagged as a deal between “frenemies” appears to have been rejuvenated with a fresh infusion of bonhomie. Some might describe it similar to the Liz Taylor-Richard Burton marriages: shouting and screaming matches followed by a quiet make-up. Is there another honeymoon in the making […]

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 1, 2013

Save the Children of Syria

By Barbara Slavin

While the United States, Russia, and the other parties interested in the civil war in Syria haggle over the ground rules for admission to a Geneva peace conference, Syrian children are succumbing to polio and other horrible diseases and losing precious years of schooling.

Syria

New Atlanticist

Nov 1, 2013

Three Reasons Turks Chose Chinese Missiles

By Ross Wilson

After long deliberation, Turkey announced September 26 its selection of China’s FD-2000 air and missile defense system over competitors from the United States (Patriot), Europe (SAMP/T), and Russia (S-400).

Missile Defense
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 31, 2013

Georgian Presidential Election Sets Precedent for Progress

By Laura Linderman

Georgia’s October 27 presidential polls were historic and an important step toward strengthening democracy. Outgoing president Saakashvili was replaced through the ballot box by the ruling Georgian Dream coalition’s candidate, Giorgi Margvelashvili. In a remarkably calm and drama-free election, with the lowest voter turnout in a decade at 46.6 percent, Margvelashvili won with 62.11 percent […]

The Caucasus

New Atlanticist

Oct 30, 2013

Leveraging Europe’s Potential for Transatlantic Missile Defense

By Ian Brzezinski and Patrick O'Reilly

One of the most important initiatives concerning US and European security has been the Washington-led effort to build a transatlantic missile defense architecture to counter the growing threat posed by the proliferation of missile technologies. This threat includes Iran’s increasingly capable missiles that many project will be soon able to strike the United States, as well […]

Missile Defense
Security & Defense

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