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.

The Future of Conservative Foreign 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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When major global news breaks, the Atlantic Council’s experts have you covered—delivering their sharpest rapid insight and forward-looking analysis direct to your inbox.

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

Nov 20, 2012

The Future of Conservative Foreign Policy

By James Joyner

According to both the exit polls and the pre-election polling, President Obama was widely considered better on foreign policy than his Republican opponent. The last time that happened was 1964, when Lyndon Johnson carried 44 states, in part on the message that electing Barry Goldwater would lead to nuclear holocaust.

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Nov 20, 2012

3-D Printing Revolution in Military Logistics

By Jon R. Drushal and Michael Llenza

The 3-D printing revolution is completely upending the global manufacturing base. Its potential impact on defense and national security is just as revolutionary but could be marginalized if the Defense Department fails to adopt a comprehensive vision and strategy.

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Nov 19, 2012

Obama Wise Not to Play Battleship

By Andrew L. Stigler

The 2012 presidential campaign, like most, was a frustrating one for national security.

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Nov 19, 2012

The Incredible, Shrinking Modern Military

By Magnus Nordenman

While military forces have grown ever more sophisticated, their size and density have been on the decline for decades.

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2012

Behind Sino-Japanese Tensions

By Robert Manning

It just won’t go away—and it may be Asia’s contemporary equivalent to Archduke Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked World War I.

China Japan

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2012

Tet by a Thousand Cuts

By Robert Bracknell

The United States is engaged in a counterinsurgency in a faraway Asian nation. The language, climate, social and political culture, religion, and terrain are foreign to the American generals, their units, and most of the diplomats, civilians, and contractors advancing American interests.

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2012

Caveat Lector: Loose Determinism

By Kenneth Weisbrode

Josef Joffe has labored in the transatlantic vineyard for so long that the muddled judgment in his article in the latest issue of Commentary, comes as a surprise. Joffe has given the familiar reasons behind America’s resetting of priorities elsewhere: Europe is no longer the “strategic fulcrum of the world;” it is stagnating, even declining, […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2012

Xi Jinping: China’s Gorbachev?

By Julian Lindley-French

Watching Xi Jinping being anointed as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party I could not help but recall that old Confucian saying, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”.

China

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2012

The US Needs Courage Leadership from Obama to Avoid Conflict

By Harlan Ullman

In the United States, 9/11 won’t be easily forgotten as the day terror violated our shores. In Britain, on 7/7, English-born Pakistanis stunned Britain by attacking the London Underground. But, in Europe as a whole, 11/11/11 may have larger emotional impact even nearly a century after World War I ended.

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Nov 14, 2012

Hurricane Sandy Sends a Message That More Storms Can Be Expected

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Polish-born nuclear physicist Marcin Jakubowski and his small band of acolytes are holed up in rural Missouri working on a “civilization starter kit.”

Energy & Environment

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