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.

Jones: ‘Pivot to Asia’ Regretable Word Choice

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 1, 2013

Jones: ‘Pivot to Asia’ Regretable Word Choice

By James Joyner

General Jim Jones, former national security advisor to President Obama, said “pivot to Asia” are probably “the words we regret most.” While there’s no question that the Asia-Pacific is more important than ever, the phrase signaled that other regions, notably Europe and Africa, were therefore less important.

Indo-Pacific

New Atlanticist

Mar 1, 2013

Kwasniewski: Ukraine Must Choose Between West and Russia

By James Joyner

Former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski declared Ukraine must choose between the West and Russia–and urged the United States and Europe to work to nudge them in our direction.

European Union
International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Feb 28, 2013

Arming Syria’s Rebels No Panacea

By Daniel Trombly

With an influx of Saudi-purchased arms and ideas floating for non-lethal aid to the Syrian rebels, irate supporters of directly arming the Syrian rebels are demanding more.

Iraq
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 28, 2013

International Policy Must Consider Unintended Consequences

By Harlan Ullman

Unintended consequences often combine the most diabolical of dangers with the greatest of huge rewards. This Janus-like face of danger and reward is often unrecognized and even ignored in the taking of major decisions by states and leaders.

Syria
United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Feb 28, 2013

Turmoil in Tbilisi: Georgia’s Dream Imperiled

By Matthew Bryza

The culture of democracy in Georgia requires serious repair. Despite groundbreaking reforms over nearly a decade, and the freest and fairest election in the country’s history last October, mob violence recently made a near-comeback as Georgia’s primary tool of political change.

Elections
Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Feb 27, 2013

Europe Is Still an Example in the Fight Against Climate Change

By David Koranyi

Europe-bashing is in mode nowadays, be it because of the Eurozone crisis or the European Union’s underwhelming military capabilities. Its championing role in the fight against climate change is no exception.

Energy & Environment
European Union

New Atlanticist

Feb 27, 2013

The Hart-Dworkin Debate, and Egyptian Legal Reform

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

Ronald Dworkin, one of the most consequential legal philosophers in history, passed away earlier this month.

North Africa
Political Reform

New Atlanticist

Feb 27, 2013

The Shale Revolution: Next Phase

By Robert Manning

It had an end of an era feel, when Aubrey McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy—one of the cutting edge independents that drove the shale revolution—recently retired, and billionaire investor Carl Icahn upped his share of Chesapeake to 8.9 percent.

Energy & Environment
Oil and Gas

New Atlanticist

Feb 26, 2013

Is Iran Essential to Syria’s Future?

By Loren White

After 23 months of fighting, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power is increasingly tenuous. Fearing its greatest ally could be ousted, Iran has reportedly begun forming large sectarian militias in Syria to bolster the regime in the short term, and also to preserve its influence should Assad be overthrown. With so much at stake, […]

Iran
Syria

New Atlanticist

Feb 26, 2013

Fighting Chinese Cyberespionage: Obama’s Next Move

By Jason Healey

Finally the Obama administration has come into the open in their calls against other nations’ stealing of trade secrets, especially through cyberespionage. The just-released “Administration Strategy on Mitigating the Theft of US Trade Secrets” is the next in a promised string of new cyber policies and actions from a newly invigorated White House. Like the […]

China
Cybersecurity

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