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.

Does the US Army Have a Mission?

New Atlanticist
Mar 6, 2025

How European leaders are responding to Trump’s approach to Ukraine and Europe

From London and Berlin to Paris and Brussels, European leaders have taken several notable steps this week on security. This follows the blow-up between the Ukrainian and US presidents on February 28.

Read More

Does the US Army Have a Mission?

New Atlanticist
Feb 26, 2025

Why the US should not lift sanctions against Russia

By
Charles Lichfield

Sanctions are having an unmistakable effect, albeit below the inflated expectations of many in the West in early 2022. Lifting them now would be a mistake.

Conflict
Economic Sanctions

Does the US Army Have a Mission?

New Atlanticist
Mar 5, 2025

The Egyptian plan for postwar Gaza is a good starting point—but it needs changes

By
Thomas S. Warrick

While many obstacles remain, the Egyptian proposal could form the starting point for negotiations over a workable plan for postwar Gaza.

Conflict
Crisis Management

Stay updated

Get your weekly newsletter with expert’s analysis on the most important global issues.


Explore our unique analysis

Fast Thinking

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

Markup

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

Read more

Content

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2012

Does the US Army Have a Mission?

By John Deni

Judging from the media and the blogosphere, there is panic among the Army staff in the halls of the Pentagon these days, as leaders cope with dramatic cuts in force structure and a new defense strategy that appears to favor naval and air power at the expense of the country’s ground forces.  

New Atlanticist

Mar 8, 2012

Dealing with Strategic Uncertainty

By Maleeha Lodhi

If the purpose of Track II diplomacy is for unofficial efforts to explore ways of addressing difficult problems, then a recent interaction in Bangkok organized by the University of Ottawa and the Atlantic Council lived up to that expectation. The three-day meeting brought together former military officials and diplomats from Pakistan and India to discuss […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2012

Why Wars Are Won

By Harlan Ullman

Last week’s column explored the questions of why wars start and why wars are lost. Flawed assumptions, miscalculations and misperceptions, ideologically driven assertions and the failure to examine potential consequences are among the better explanations.

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2012

Europeans’ Dilemma and Putin’s Pledge

By Ioan Mircea Pascu

From the three “tenets” of Lord Ismay – NATO has been created to keep the Americans in, the Germans down and the Russians out – the most important one has proven to be the first: to keep the Americans in!

European Union International Organizations
UK Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2012

In Honour of Britain’s Afghan Fallen

By Julian Lindley-French

Today it was announced that six British soldiers serving in Afghanistan are missing presumed dead. Five of them were serving with The Yorkshire Regiment, my own county regiment, and the other with the Duke of Lancaster Regiment. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the fallen. They were part of a sustained […]

United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Mar 7, 2012

Bibi Bows to Reality

By Barbara Slavin

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have concluded that Barack Obama will be re-elected in November and that Israel would jeopardize its ties with his administration if it attacks Iran before then. In public appearances Monday before and after a two-hour meeting with Obama in the Oval Office, Netanyahu stressed that U.S. and Israeli […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Mar 6, 2012

Onion Blarney

By Julian Lindley-French

Irish wit Oscar Wilde once said, “Before you call for one for one for the road, be sure you know the road”. Europe’s road has now been chosen. With last week’s signing of the European Fiscal Stability Treaty (or Treaty of Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union to give it the […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Mar 6, 2012

As Caucasus Emirate Reconfigures, Moscow Maintains Siloviki-Centric Policy

By Thomas Liles

On February 3, Doku Umarov, leader of the Chechnya-based Islamist separatist movement known as the Caucasus Emirate, ordered Islamist fighters active in the region and elsewhere in Russia to cease attacks on civilians, a significant departure in policy for a movement that has always used terrorism as a core tactic.

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 5, 2012

Russian Elections: US and Europe Must Rethink the ‘Reset’

By Kurt Volker

As Vladimir Putin is set to return to the presidency after Russian elections March 4, the US and Europe must rethink the “reset” policy that has guided their approach to Moscow for the past several years. Russia is experiencing the most dynamic period of political activity it has seen since the time of Boris Yeltsin. […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Mar 5, 2012

Putin’s Return and NATO-Russia Relations: Back to the Future

By Jakub Kulhanek

Shocking no one, Vladimir Putin will return to the Russian presidency following Sunday’s election. While it remains to be seen how the people who already took to the streets after the Duma elections respond to his return to the Kremlin, there is little doubt that Russia is entering uncharted waters of domestic uncertainty and possible […]

NATO Russia
Load More