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.

Tax and Transparency: an Agenda for the G8

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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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

Apr 26, 2013

Tax and Transparency: an Agenda for the G8

By Paul Collier

In recent years international lawyers and accountants have built a web of corporate opacity which has enabled tax avoidance and corruption on an alarming scale. Private financial wealth sitting in tax havens has grown to around $21 trillion, of which $9 trillion is from developing countries. Some miniscule jurisdictions, such as the Cayman Islands, have […]

Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Apr 26, 2013

Europe’s Crumple Zone

By Julian Lindley-French

On Wednesday I had the privilege of providing evidence to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee at its first meeting to consider the 2015 British Strategic Security and Defence Review alongside Lord Hennessy and Major-General Mungo Melvin. Perhaps the most important contribution I made was to suggest to collected British politicians of all shades that […]

Economy & Business United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Apr 25, 2013

Africa’s Global Advantage

By Adrienne Chuck

Last week, finance ministers and central bankers from around the world gathered in Washington for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund semi-annual spring meetings to promote sustainable and equitable growth. Six years after the beginning of the global financial crisis, prospects for a strong recovery are still not optimistic; conversations for the most part […]

Africa Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Apr 24, 2013

Why Terrorism is Different

By James Joyner

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, several commentators have asked why we label some acts of mass violence “terrorism” while others are considered ordinary crime. Why do we treat those two so very differently, despite the latter being responsible for far more American deaths?

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Apr 24, 2013

America’s Historical Amnesia

By Harlan Ullman

Karl Marx mused that history first appears as tragedy and then as farce. That may not apply to the United States, as Americans are too often amnesia-prone when it comes to history. Americans’ ability to ignore or forget history is legion. Three cases underscore this point.

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Apr 24, 2013

Ritual NATO Skepticism

By Stephen M. Saideman

The funny thing about writing a book on NATO and Afghanistan that is pretty critical of the alliance’s performance is that I still end up being a NATO defender. How so?

NATO NATO Partnerships

New Atlanticist

Apr 23, 2013

5 More Questions for Henrik Liljegren

By James Joyner

Henrik Liljegren, an Atlantic Council board member, served 42 years in Sweden’s diplomatic corps, including stints as Ambassador to the United States, Turkey, East Germany, and Belgium. In June 2009, we discussed the Russia “Reset” and the political climate in Turkey. Today, I had the opportunity to revisit these issues with him.

Russia Turkey

New Atlanticist

Apr 22, 2013

Exercise Joint Warrior: At the Tip of the Spear

By Julian Lindley-French

Exercise Joint Warrior 2013 is certainly Europe’s, and possibly the world’s biggest maritime amphibious military exercise this year, and I am having the pleasure to observe and be sea-sick all over it.

Maritime Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Apr 19, 2013

Useless Speculation on Twitter Standard Time

By James Joyner

Since the news broke this morning that the likely perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing are two brothers from Chechnya, speculation has been rampant about their ties to militant groups there. That zero evidence supports that proposition seems irrelevant. We’re on Twitter Standard Time and we expect answers instantaneously.

Cybersecurity National Security

New Atlanticist

Apr 19, 2013

Lyndon W. Obama

By Harlan Ullman

The shadow of North Korea’s latest provocations for the moment has obscured Iran and its nuclear ambitions. Another war on the Korean Peninsula would be a disaster for the Korean people even though the military defeat of the North that is sure to follow would no doubt end the Kim ruling dynasty.

Security & Defense United States and Canada

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