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.

Egypt’s Sinai Problem Long Predates Morsi

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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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 10, 2012

Egypt’s Sinai Problem Long Predates Morsi

By Michele Dunne

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has responded to the August 5 Sinai raid, in which militants killed sixteen Egyptian border guards, by sacking Director of Intelligence Murad Mouwafi, North Sinai Governor Abdel Wahab Mabrouk (provincial governors are presidential appointees), and replacing several other senior security officials.

North Africa

New Atlanticist

Aug 9, 2012

Reflections on the Oak Creek Sikh Temple Tragedy

By Deepa Iyer

I have worked with South Asian community members and organizations since September 11, 2001, and the tragic events of this past Sunday in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, has shaken me to the core. As our country tries to make sense of the tragedy that occurred last Sunday at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, it […]

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Aug 8, 2012

Infrastructure Alarm Sounds

By Harlan Ullman

Last week, three events should have sounded deafening alarms and issued unmistakable warnings about the vulnerabilities facing mankind. And a fourth was further frosting on this rather explosive cake. None did and complacency still reigns.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Aug 7, 2012

Libya’s NTC Turns over Power: Where Does the Transition Go From Here?

By Karim Mezran

Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC), the highest governing since last year’s overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi, will turn over authority to the newly elected General National Congress (GNC) tomorrow. What does the turnover portend for the selection of a new government? What are the powers of the GNC and what will its role be in the […]

Libya North Africa

New Atlanticist

Aug 7, 2012

Cyber Hype: Flame, Stuxnet, and Boeing 787’s Falling from the Sky

By Brandon Valeriano

These last few months have been some of the most exciting, depressing, and troubling times for those interested in the phenomenon of cyberwar. As a cyber skeptic deeply engaged in this emerging debate I want to take a step back and analyze what we have learned.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Aug 7, 2012

China: Cyber Threat and Cyber Threatened

By Derek S. Reveron and Jon Lindsay

In any discussion about the security of cyberspace, Chinese hackers are usually singled out as major threats. The most recent (and hardly unique) news involves an operation with Chinese origins, dubbed Byzantine Candor by government investigators, which has been stealing corporate and government secrets for years, to include emails from the president of the European […]

China Cybersecurity

New Atlanticist

Aug 6, 2012

Euro-Realism 3: Defending Europe

By Julian Lindley-French

In one of those deliciously Anglo-French moments this week President Hollande took a swipe at the London Olympics and David Cameron. Stung by Bradley Wiggin’s Tour de France Champs Elysee victory Hollande said, “The British have rolled out a red carpet for French athletes to win medals. I thank them very much for that”. It […]

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Aug 3, 2012

Mitt Romney Flunks His Foreign Policy Tryout

By R. Nicholas Burns

Governor Mitt Romney had a chance to demonstrate on his trip to Great Britain, Israel, and Poland that he is ready to take on the duties of America’s top diplomat and commander in chief — among the presidency’s most vital responsibilities. Yet for reasons that are hard to understand, Romney undermined himself through surprising lapses […]

Elections Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Aug 3, 2012

In Putin’s Circle, Obama Is Gorbachev

By Frederick Kempe

In private conversations with visiting U.S. business leaders, Russian officials close to President Vladimir Putin have recently referred to President Barack Obama as “your Gorbachev.” And they haven’t meant it positively.

Russia

New Atlanticist

Aug 2, 2012

Both Regime and Opposition in Syria Are Mysteries

By Sarwar Kashmeri

Professor Heidi Lane of the Naval War College suggests that prudence not intervention is the best course of action in Syria in a conversation with Sarwar Kashmeri, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. (8 minute audio interview)

Syria

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