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.

Euro-Crash! Now, Britain! Now’s Your Time!

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

Oct 3, 2011

Euro-Crash! Now, Britain! Now’s Your Time!

By Julian Lindley-French

At the climax of the Battle of Waterloo Napoleon’s Imperial Guard tried to force the road to Brussels. The Brigade of Guards was waiting in ambush. “Now Maitland! Now’s your time!” Wellington thundered. Immediately the Guards emerged from the long grass and fired volley after volley into the Old Guard until for the first time […]

United Kingdom

Europe After The Vote

Oct 3, 2011

Europe’s Imperative: Save Greece, Save Itself

By Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg

Effective crisis resolution tragically requires a dynamic and subtle management of seemingly disparate objectives: building character versus building confidence. And “tragically” is the right adverb, because the European actors–Germany on one side, and most of Europe on the other–are clashing to destructive effect in negotiating these tradeoffs. Germany is intent on building “character” among the […]

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2011

When Can a President Order an American Killed?

By James Joyner

Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen alleged to be a senior al-Qaeda figure, was reportedly killed this morning in Yemen by an American drone strike. President Obama reportedly authorized his assassination more than two years ago and several unsuccessful attempts had previously been made. This raises troubling questions about the limits of presidential power.

Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2011

Britain and the EU: The Day of Reckoning Approaches

By Julian Lindley-French

The Euro-crunch is upon us and with it perhaps the most delicate and dangerous moment in the EU’s history. Indeed, the implications of what is about to happen are slowly only becoming apparent. One of the most profound of which could be the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union. The Euro can only survive […]

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2011

Resilience and Heroism in Afghanistan

By William B. Caldwell IV

I attended the funeral for the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, Burhanuddin Rabbani last week and was impressed by the display of honor and remarkable resilience of senior Afghan leaders.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 29, 2011

Caspian Natural Gas Inches Closer to Markets

By Boyko Nitzov

Earlier this month, two events occurred which are likely to significantly boost Europe’s hopes for diversifying its gas supply and help realize Caspian gas exporting countries’ aspirations for reaching global gas markets.

Energy & Environment Russia

New Atlanticist

Sep 29, 2011

Merkel’s Moment

By Margarita Mathiopoulos

Leadership of the European Union from the beginning has fallen on Germany and France — Konrad Adenauer and Charles de Gaulle, Giscard d’Estaing and Helmut Schmidt, Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand. Now it is Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, and at their last meeting they signaled that they are aware of the depth of the […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Sep 29, 2011

When the Issue Was Nuclear, at Least It Was Clear

By David Sarasohn

In 1961, it wasn’t hard to understand why an American president was obsessed with Berlin. As Frederick Kempe explains in his new book, “Berlin 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth,” the divided city was where the superpowers confronted each other, where the nuclear trigger might get pulled — and where, Kempe […]

New Atlanticist

Sep 28, 2011

America’s Fourth and Most Testing Epoch?

By Harlan Ullman

In life, people inexorably move from infancy to adulthood and on to old age in a series of significant chronological milestones. Countries are obviously not people. But states also pass through stages that mark fundamental transition points and new epochs in their histories, sometimes knowingly, sometimes not. And sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. […]

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Sep 28, 2011

Why No Cyber 9/11s Yet?

By Jason Healey

Fears of a catastrophic cyber attack against national infrastructure go back well before 2001, but the attacks of a decade ago have given this possibility a new name: a “cyber 9/11.” The feeling persists that a large-scale cyber attack is just around the corner. Yet, despite these fears, there have been no such catastrophic attacks. […]

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

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