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

Stay updated

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.

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.

Content

New Atlanticist

Oct 20, 2011

Calculating the Costs of War

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Leon E. Panetta’s first major address as defense secretary was clearly designed to be magisterial, the credo of the Free World, still headed by the United States, cognizant of its worldwide responsibilities, albeit with much budgetary belt-tightening. He didn’t mention the two wasteful wars that had little to do with defending Western civilization.

New Atlanticist

Oct 20, 2011

A Kingdom for a Strategy

By Harlan Ullman

Strategy and weather share a common limitation: People constantly talk about both yet, in today’s environment, little can be done to affect either. Above all, strategy is about setting achievable and understandable aims. Sadly, politics and process have made that impossible today. A bitterly divided Congress and the failure of the Obama administration through substituting […]

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Oct 19, 2011

The Strategic Influence Game 3: The Loser

By Julian Lindley-French

Strategy is the art of gaining the greatest influence at least cost. For at least a generation the British elite have specialised in gaining the least influence at the greatest cost – be it in Europe, the transatlantic relationship or the wider world. Why? The factors are many but put simply Britain’s political elite have […]

United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Oct 19, 2011

UN Rips Iran’s Human Rights Record in New Report

By Barbara Slavin

A forthcoming U.N. report, obtained by Foreign Policy in advance of its publication later this week, condemns the Iranian regime for wide-ranging human right abuses, including the secret killings of hundreds of prisoners under mysterious circumstances. The report, compiled by Ahmed Shaheed, the new U.N. “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 19, 2011

Putin and the US Senate

By Anna Borshchevskaya

On October 12, the U.S. Senate held a hearing to confirm National Security Council official Michael McFaul to be the next U.S. ambassador to Russia. McFaul used his testimony to defend the Obama administration’s “reset” policy, even though the policy has neither reversed the antagonism which marks the U.S.-Russian relationship nor improved U.S. national security. […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Oct 18, 2011

US ‘Prepared to Put it in Writing’ Missile Defense Not Aimed At Russia

By James Joyner

Ellen Tauscher, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, says the United States is prepared to “put it in writing” that NATO missile defense systems are not aimed at Russia. At the same time, however, “We cannot provide legally binding commitments, nor can we agree to limitations on missile defenses, which must necessarily keep […]

Missile Defense NATO

New Atlanticist

Oct 18, 2011

Why the US Explored “Cyber War” Against Libya, And Why It Backed Down

By Jason Healey

We should not be surprised that, according to the New York Times, the Obama administration and military commanders considered “a cyberoffensive to disrupt and even disable the Qaddafi government’s air-defense system.” Indeed there are three key reasons why military leadership would be negligent if they did not ask about cyber options:

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 18, 2011

High Noon for Europe’s Banks

By Michael Lafferty

There is a gigantic hole in the balance sheets of Europe’s banks – from France to Germany, from Spain to Italy. Even the UK, which thought it had put all this behind it with an unprecedented bailout of major banks in 2008, cannot be excluded. The banks desperately need vast amounts of new capital to […]

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Oct 18, 2011

Looking Ahead to The London Conference on Cyberspace

By William Hague

The advent and development of cyberspace is transforming our world and revolutionising our everyday lives. This may become a global challenge and require a global, co-ordinated response. However, until now, the debate around what form this response should take has been fragmented and lacked focus. The UK believes this must change. More international consensus is […]

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 17, 2011

Will 3D Printing Change the World?

By Banning Garrett

Transformative technologies are the stuff of history. The steam engine, the light bulb, atomic energy, the microchip—to name a few—unalterably changed our world. Such breakthroughs often take decades from initial invention to changing the way we do things, however. And their potential impact can be nearly unimaginable early in the process. It is doubtful that Tim Berners-Lee […]

Share

Issue briefs and reports