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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.

NATO ‘No Planning, No Discussion, No Thought’ of Syria Intervention

New Atlanticist
Jul 29, 2025

The Russia pressure menu: Options to convince Putin to negotiate on Ukraine 

As the US president cuts his deadline for Russia to ten days, there are several options for him to increase pressure on Moscow to pursue peace.

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NATO ‘No Planning, No Discussion, No Thought’ of Syria Intervention

New Atlanticist
Jul 24, 2025

Dispatch from Manila: A lesson in calling out Chinese maritime aggression

By
Markus Garlauskas, Philip W. Yu

As the Philippines has focused more on Chinese threats to itself, Manila also seems increasingly inclined to see its own security as connected to that of the broader region.

China
Indo-Pacific

NATO ‘No Planning, No Discussion, No Thought’ of Syria Intervention

New Atlanticist
Jul 1, 2025

The US must enforce sanctions to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program

By
Kimberly Donovan

To ensure that Tehran cannot get its hands on the financial resources it would need to rebuild its nuclear program, Iran sanctions enforcement should start with China.

Economic Sanctions
Iran

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Content

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2011

NATO ‘No Planning, No Discussion, No Thought’ of Syria Intervention

By James Joyner

NATO has had  “no planning, no discussion, and no thought” of action in Syria, declared Ivo Daalder, the US permanent representation to NATO. In a speech to the Atlantic Council on the eve of a meeting with President Obama and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Daalder focused on the successes and lessons learned from the operation […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2011

Balkan Energy Markets Need Reforms As Well As Caspian Gas

By Borut Grgic

Turkey and Azerbaijan have signed a historic agreement for the shipment of gas from the huge Shah Deniz 2 field in the Caspian Sea to Turkey, the Balkans and central Europe. This deal is a win-win for everyone, and it is especially important for the Balkans, which are energy-deficient in every way imaginable. Balkan energy […]

Energy & Environment The Balkans

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2011

Solidarity: The Emptiest Word in Eurospeak

By Julian Lindley-French

If the mythical European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) contained as many Euros as empty Eurospeak the Eurozone crisis would have been solved in a trice. Indeed, the two most meaningless words in the grand lexicon of Eurospeak are ‘strategy’ and ‘solidarity’ and I have heard more than enough of both over the past two days […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Nov 4, 2011

Europe’s Democracy Problem

By James Joyner

 For now at least, the Greek referendum that could have been the beginning of the end for the euro has been shelved. The panic that it provoked, however, says something about the tension between democracy and effectiveness that has marked the European project from its outset. 

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Nov 4, 2011

G20 Kicks the Cannes Down the Road

By Garrett Workman

As leaders of the world’s largest economic powers gather together at the G20 Summit this week on the French Riviera (complete with nude sunbathers turned antiglobalization protestors), the world’s attention has once again focused on Greece.  Little did I know back in June when I was decrying the futility of the latest Band Aid solution, […]

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Nov 4, 2011

New World Order?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Is China now emerging as banker to the rest of the world? The United States owes China $1.3 trillion — out of a total U.S. public debt load of $14.1 trillion. And the United States also owes almost $1 trillion to Japan. So clearly, 17 EU nations that share the euro currency couldn’t turn to […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Nov 4, 2011

Can Egypt Replicate Tunisia’s Success?

By Rena Zuabi

Parliamentary elections in Tunisia this past week shed an optimistic light over the future of the Arab Awakening. The elections met international standards for election transparency, voter turnout, and international oversight. All signs point to an enthusiastic and optimistic Tunisian public who gave overwhelming support to the moderate Islamist party, Ennahda. The well-known opposition party […]

North Africa

New Atlanticist

Nov 3, 2011

Pakistan and India Cracking Barriers of the Mind

By Shuja Nawaz

About bloody time, some would say. The news that Pakistan’s cabinet has approved Most Favored Nation trade status for long-time adversary India will also be greeted by the usual wry comments by skeptics and cynics on both sides of this volatile border. But though Pakistan may not have broken any barriers it may have cracked […]

India Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 3, 2011

The Strategic Influence Game 4: Utterly Entangled America

By Julian Lindley-French

As the G-Plenty and Not-so-Plenty meet in Cannes a big month beckons for the United States. One month hence will be the seventieth anniversary of Pearl Harbor which brought a formal and abrupt end to 1930s American isolationism. December 2011 will also see the withdrawal of US combat forces from Iraq. One year hence the […]

United States and Canada

Europe After The Vote

Nov 3, 2011

What Next for Greece After No-Confidence Vote?

By Marios Efthymiopoulos

In a period of fiscal and social turmoil, the Greek government has decided to risk its survival and the economic stability of Europe on a public referendum over the details of the most recent offer by the leaders of the Eurozone to bail out of Greece from its fiscal destruction. As a result, is it […]

European Union Greece
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