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
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.

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

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

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New Atlanticist

Feb 9, 2012

Syria Intervention: Ugly Choices

By Daniel Trombly

With Russia and China standing firmly behind Assad’s regime in Syria, it appears increasingly likely that continued violence, and potentially a prolonged civil war, will be the future condition of a country where the opposition is not strong enough to overcome the core elements of the regime’s security forces, and foreign parties lack the willpower […]

International Organizations Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Feb 9, 2012

Israel, Iran and the United States: All Options Are Bad!

By Don Snow

The growing confrontation between Israel and Iran over the Iranian nuclear weapons program is spinning perilously out of hand, and it has within it the seeds of the most potentially dangerous threat to international peace since the Cold War ended over 20 years ago. What we are witnessing is a verbal run-up to a military […]

Iran Israel

New Atlanticist

Feb 8, 2012

Turkey-US Relations: Dark Clouds on the Horizon

By Ross Wilson

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu comes to Washington this week with more positives in US-Turkish relations than at any time in years. However, upcoming and potentially grave challenges – Syria, Iran, Egypt, and others – mean Turkey and US-Turkish ties will face many risky problems in the months ahead.

Turkey

New Atlanticist

Feb 8, 2012

Italian PM Warns of European Disintegration From Mutual Resentments

By James Joyner

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti fears “backlash” stemming from “mutual resentments” between Northern and Southern Europeans spurred by the financial crisis. Appearing on the PBS NewsHour, Monti declared, “I try to avoid that backlash by always presenting the necessary sacrifices that Italians have to go through not as an imposition from Brussels or Germany or […]

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Feb 8, 2012

Afghanistan: End Game or No Game?

By Harlan Ullman

Last week was another roller coaster ride for international politics. Violence in Egypt; looming civil war in Syria; and threats and counter-threats over Iran’s nuclear intentions reverberated around the international security community intensifying the gathering sense of impending disaster. In Brussels at the NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting followed by the Munich Security Conference the next […]

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2012

Fixing All the World’s Problems

By Bernard Finel

Okay, I’m king for a day, and I am going to fix all the world’s problems.

New Atlanticist

Feb 6, 2012

Transatlantic Relationship Words at Odds with Deeds

By James Joyner

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said all the right things about the transatlantic relationship at the Munich Security Conference. Alas, Panetta made a mockery of them on his way there. Panetta declared that “peace and prosperity of Europe is critically important to the United States, but because Europe remains […]

New Atlanticist

Feb 6, 2012

China Pivot or Pirouette?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Amid the gazillion blogs, tweets, Facebookies and LinkedIn aficionados, it has become even harder to find reasoned and convincing arguments for what kind of military drawdown would do least harm to the United States’ global posture. Even learned think tanks are tweeting. Retired admirals and generals, professors and journalists, everyone is weighing in with elite […]

China United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Feb 3, 2012

A Leaner NATO Needs a Tighter Focus

By Hans Binnendijk

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have an opportunity this weekend as they address the Munich Security Conference to suggest ways to stabilize NATO’s ailing defense capabilities. European nations have slashed their defense budgets to record low levels without much regard for NATO’s overall defense requirements. And last week […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 3, 2012

Early Afghanistan Withdrawal Least Bad Option

By James Joyner

The Obama administration’s acceleration of its Afghanistan withdrawal deadline to 2013, a year earlier than planned, is a break with America’s commitment to its NATO and Afghan allies, an abandonment of a mission Obama deemed “essential” in his 2008 campaign, and kills any chances of negotiating an acceptable settlement with the Taliban. It’s also the right thing […]

Afghanistan NATO

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