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.

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.

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Our experts decipher and annotate major speeches and policy documents to break down big ideas and lay them out in plain language.

New Atlanticist

Oct 10, 2012

Unintended Consequences

By Harlan Ullman

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld coined the phrase “unknown unknowns,” a snappier way to describe “unintended consequences.” Both refer to events that are unanticipated, unexpected and unpredictable.

Russia Syria

New Atlanticist

Oct 9, 2012

Three Steps to Siachen

By Arun Kumar Singh

India and Pakistan have been engaged in military-level Track 2 talks for the past 12 months, with the delegates of the two sides meeting in Dubai, Bangkok and finally in Lahore in September this year. Smaller “sub-group” meetings in Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Palo Alto (California) have also featured in the Track 2 process. A […]

India Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Oct 9, 2012

Africa Rising

By Derek Reveron

The latest World Bank study describes the state of the global economy as “volatile, punctuated by natural disasters, large swings in investor sentiment, and periods of relative calm and improving prospects.”

Africa Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Oct 5, 2012

NATO: All SHAPE and No Arms?

By Julian Lindley-French

In the 1950s the Americans used to have a NATO joke (they have about one per decade). NATO, they said, was like the Venus de Milo, all SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) and no arms. You are meant to laugh now. The essential point was that NATO was fast becoming lots of military headquarters with no military […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 5, 2012

Cry Libertad: Ghana’s Blow for Rule of Law, Fiscal Probity

By Peter Pham

Slowly, but surely, word is getting out about Africa’s overall buoyant economic prospects. What just a few years ago was universally pitied as the “hopeless continent” is today home to six of the world’s fastest growing economies.

North & West Africa

New Atlanticist

Oct 4, 2012

Iran Sanctions Unprecedented and Crippling; But Are They Effective?

By Ronak Desai

In a move that will further tighten the web of sanctions currently in place against Iran, the Obama administration has designated the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) “an agent or affiliate” of Iran’s notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Treasury Department’s designation potentially exposes foreign institutions conducting business with the NIOC and its subsidiaries to […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Oct 4, 2012

Protecting the Benefits of the Internet Is One of the Great Challenges of Our Time

By William Hague and Janos Martonyi

In little over a decade the internet has revolutionised our world. We can communicate freely wherever we are, share ideas across borders and draw on extraordinary archives of information. In today’s digital world we can do almost anything online, from banking to sharing news in just 140 characters. The internet is a critical engine of […]

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 3, 2012

Syrian Mortar Attack on Turkey Adds New Dimension to Conflict

By Ross Wilson

The October 3 spillover of violence in Syria across the border to Turkey has added a new edge to the campaign Prime Minister Erdoğan’s Administration has been waging to convince its allies and friends that Syria is spinning out of control, increasingly threatening regional peace and stability, and warranting a firmer response.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 3, 2012

Help Europe Help Itself, and Ourselves

By C. Boyden Gray

As the presidential election reaches the home stretch, the Obama and Romney campaigns have made clear their single-minded focus: fixing the economy. But to achieve that goal, the next president must take seriously the pressing need for a full free-trade agreement between the United States and the European Union.

Economy & Business Elections

New Atlanticist

Oct 3, 2012

Golf and American Exceptionalism

By Harlan Ullman

“Fore!” is a loudly shouted warning in golf, alerting other players and spectators to an errant shot that could do serious injury. After all, however small, a golf ball is quite hard. Traveling at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour, it can hurt any onlooker it strikes.

National Security Security & Defense

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