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.

Israeli Apology to Turkey Big First Step But Not Sea Change

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

Mar 22, 2013

Israeli Apology to Turkey Big First Step But Not Sea Change

By Ross Wilson

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu phoned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 22 to apologize for the May 2010 Mavi Marmara incident and move toward normalizing bilateral relations that have been in the deep freeze since June 2010. President Obama clearly played a direct role in orchestrating the call that took place as […]

Turkey

New Atlanticist

Mar 22, 2013

Russo-Chinese Energy Relations: Never-ending Foreplay?

By David Koranyi

As the officially anointed Chinese President Xi Jinping is on his first state visit abroad to Moscow, speculations are abound about a long-awaited breakthrough in energy relations between the two giants. Caution, however is warranted. The honeymoon in Russo-Chinese energy relations has been elusive and progress rather slow and uneven in the past years. China’s […]

China
Energy & Environment

New Atlanticist

Mar 21, 2013

Kurdish Leader: End Armed Struggle

By Ross Wilson

Turkey’s long-time nemesis Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the so-called Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), delivered an historic message on the March 21 Nowruz holiday that marks the beginning of spring calling for a new beginning between Kurds and Turks.

Elections
Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Mar 21, 2013

Bolstering Jordan to Enhance Regional Security

By John Raidt and Jeffrey Lightfoot

President Barack Obama can significantly bolster regional security and advance US interests in his upcoming trip to the Middle East by offering increased support to Jordan to help it cope with the highly consequential spillover effects of the conflict in Syria. The influx of 3,000 refugees per day into Jordan from Syria—including an unknown number […]

National Security
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Mar 21, 2013

Science and Technology: The Invisible Pillar of Transatlantic Cooperation

By Cathleen Fisher

Cooperation in science and research is embedded in the transatlantic relationship. And yet, ironically, it is politically and diplomatically underused and often considered marginal—or ignored entirely—by the transatlantic policy community. This should change.

Economy & Business
Energy & Environment

New Atlanticist

Mar 20, 2013

Cyprus Still Has Options, But Damage Already Done

By Megan Greene

Everyone knew that Cyprus would be a tough nut to crack, but few expected this tiny island to be the one country to stand up to the so-called troika of international lenders (the EBC, IMF, and European Commission) and reject a bailout offer. To be clear, the potential consequences for Cyprus of its bravado are […]

Economy & Business
Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Mar 20, 2013

Iran and US Economy Remain Key Questions for Obama

By Harlan Ullman

As U.S. President Barack Obama arrives in Israel for his first state visit, clearly Iran will dominate the agenda along with discussions over Syria, the Arab Spring and even the Palestinian issue (although Israeli settlements in occupied territories may be missing in action as too politically sensitive).

Iran

New Atlanticist

Mar 20, 2013

Obama’s Cyberwarfare Strategy Will Backfire

By Jason Healey

America’s generals and spymasters have decided they can secure a better future in cyberspace through, what else, covert warfare, preemptive attacks, and clandestine intelligence. Our rivals are indeed seeking to harm U.S. interests and it is perfectly within the president’s purview to use these tools in response. Yet this is an unwise policy that will […]

Cybersecurity
National Security

New Atlanticist

Mar 19, 2013

America’s Losing Streak

By James Joyner

As we approach the tenth anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq on March 20, it’s worth reflecting on the fact that it has been nearly seventy years since America’s last successful major war.

National Security
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Mar 19, 2013

Who Will Pay for Cyprus?

By Julian Lindley-French

In 1984 George Orwell wrote, “Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind, simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” I was reminded of doublethink (to that add double-speak) watching Europe’s politicians and Eurocrats dance on the head of a political pin to distance themselves from the so-called ‘one-off’ Deposit Tax Levy […]

Economy & Business
European Union

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