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.

Four Days in Iran in August: Heat, Hijab, and Hope

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

Aug 16, 2013

Four Days in Iran in August: Heat, Hijab, and Hope

By Barbara Slavin

What is it about Iran and Western women journalists? Foreign reporters who got visas to cover last week’s inauguration of Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, were overwhelmingly female and included me as well as correspondents for NBC and CBS. Historically, women such as Christine Amanpour, Robin Wright and Elaine Sciolino have also reported extensively […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Aug 15, 2013

Obama Has an Opening with Iran

By R. Nicholas Burns

With a speed few predicted, Iran’s new president, Hassan Rowhani, has signaled his interest in negotiations this autumn on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. This could produce the first extensive contact between Washington and Tehran since diplomatic relations ruptured during the Jimmy Carter administration.

Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Aug 15, 2013

War on Terror Is not the Only Threat

By Harlan Ullman

Unspecific warnings last week about an al-Qaida terrorist plot were taken very seriously.

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Aug 14, 2013

Central Asia Can’t Be Forgotten

By James L. Jones

The transformation of Central Asia and the Caucasus that began twenty years ago—and in which the transatlantic community has a vital stake—is incomplete and uncertain. Despite progress, numerous problems remain. They vary from country to country, but among the most ubiquitous are ineffective governance, political systems that lack public participation and transparency, shortcomings in the […]

Central Asia Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Aug 14, 2013

Will White House Strong Words on Egypt Be Followed by Action?

By James Joyner

The Obama administration has issued a strongly worded statement on this morning’s massacre by the Egyptian government:

North Africa Political Reform

New Atlanticist

Aug 13, 2013

Obama’s Red Lines

By Henry Johnson

President Obama’s tepid response to Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons illuminates how he might react to a decision by Iran to build nuclear weapons. In both cases, he has drawn red lines that are extremely costly to enforce.

Iran Missile Defense

New Atlanticist

Aug 12, 2013

In the Shadow of Forster’s Room

By Peter Haynes

What might the world look like a century from now? This is not an idle question: if we were able to forecast the ultra-long-term future with at least some degree of accuracy, our approach to policymaking would be very different. For example, if we consider federally funded R&D since World War II, much of it […]

New Atlanticist

Aug 12, 2013

Is China Doomed?

By Rajan Menon

Between 1978, the year Deng Xiaoping’s sweeping economic reforms were launched, and 2011, China’s GDP increased by an average of 10 percent annually, three times that of the global economy. Now the boom times may be over.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Aug 9, 2013

US and Iran Cautious about Direct Talks

By Barbara Slavin

Iran’s president may have changed, but the leadership’s reticence about talking one-on-one with the United States continues – along with U.S. reluctance to recognize Iran’s quasi-representative government as legitimate.

Iran United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Aug 9, 2013

A Better AGOA for Africa

By Adrienne Chuck

The twelfth African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum opens on Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together senior US and African policymakers to discuss the extension of the trade legislation ahead of its September 2015 expiration date.

Africa Economy & Business

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