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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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

Apr 10, 2012

Disarmament by Timetable

By Andrew Wilson

Britain’s nuclear weapons—and its international relationships—are under challenge.

Nuclear Nonproliferation Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Apr 10, 2012

Bringing Turkey and Russia Closer to the European Neighborhood Policy

By Kristina Mikulova

As NATO and the EU have shelved enlargement – the juiciest “carrot” motivating reform in aspirant countries – it is even more crucial for the transatlantic community to refine existing institutional frameworks for engagement in order to prevent reform inertia – or worse – backsliding.

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Apr 10, 2012

US Returning to Security Council To Protect Syrians, Says Burns

By Barbara Slavin

Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns is a rare breed in Washington — a career foreign-service officer in a job typically held by political appointees and a man esteemed by both Democrats and Republicans. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who kept Burns on as undersecretary of state and then promoted him to his current job […]

International Organizations North Africa

New Atlanticist

Apr 9, 2012

The Government’s Three Cyber Silences

By Jason Healey

The threat of Chinese espionage is so critical that the commander of our military cyber defenses has called it the “the biggest transfer of wealth through theft and piracy in the history of mankind.”

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Apr 9, 2012

Mideast Imbroglio

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

The Egyptian revolution has led to economic bankruptcy, says Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali, a former U.N. secretary-general. Factories are closed and Egyptian workers are no longer wanted abroad, he lamented. Sub-Saharan Africans and Pakistanis from Baluchistan have replaced Egyptians who once worked in Libya and oil-rich Persian Gulf countries, adding millions to the 12 percent unemployed […]

North Africa

New Atlanticist

Apr 9, 2012

Malawi Gets Another Chance

By Peter Pham

Malawi became the latest African country to escape from a dangerous downward spiral when, on Saturday evening, Vice President Joyce Banda was able to take the oath of office as president in succession to the late and unlamented Bingu wa Mutharika. Now the international community which, although it had largely severed ties to the deceased […]

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2012

Mideast Leaders Visit US, Seek Support and Understanding

By Barbara Slavin

The United States may be seen by some as a declining global power. But that hasn’t stopped several Middle Eastern politicians from visiting Washington this week in hopes of attracting US support — or at least neutrality — for their causes.

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2012

Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s Role in the Regional Efforts to Oust Assad

By Benedetta Berti and Yoel Guzansky

Since the beginning of the protests against the Assad regime in March 2011, the international community’s response to the Syrian crisis has been characterized by disunity. This collective vacuum has boosted the role of regional actors, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who have been extremely active with the support of virtually all GCC countries.

Saudi Arabia Syria

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2012

Falklands Victory 30th Anniversary Offers Lessons For Today’s Britain

By Julian Lindley-French

“Be pleased to inform Her Majesty that the Union Jack once again flies over Stanley. God save the Queen.”

United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Apr 5, 2012

Importance of Space Domain Within Visegrad Defense and Security Cooperation

By Peter Pindjak and Dominik Jankowski

Space has become an increasingly important domain within regional security cooperation initiatives. While the Nordic countries have embraced the prospect of a joint satellite system as an important tool in advancing common interests, the Visegrad nations have yet to recognize the immense potential of collaboration in outer space. Central European leaders presently face a challenge […]

Space Technology & Innovation

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