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.

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

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.

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

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2013

Has Iran Outfoxed Netanyahu?

By Rajan Menon

The much-anticipated breakthrough in the negotiations aimed at preventing Iran from building nuclear weapons has yet to materialize. But Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who believes that a wily Iran is outwitting its gullible interlocutors, isn’t breathing any easier; instead, he’s breathing fire. The statements from those involved in the talks (Iran and the P5+1) […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Nov 13, 2013

A US Strategy for Europe’s East

By Damon Wilson

Atlantic Council Executive Vice President Damon Wilson testified before a hearing of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on European Affairs, on November 14, 2013. The hearing was convened to examine the outlook for European Union Eastern Partners – Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Belarus, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Belarus Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Nov 13, 2013

One Step Forward in Geneva

By Catherine Putz

The latest P5+1 talks with Iran in Geneva have resulted in little tangible progress, but experts are optimistic about the potential for a deal when talks resume later this month.

Iran

Share

Issue briefs and reports