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.

Can citizens’ assemblies help counter a rising populist tide in the West?

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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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.

New Atlanticist

Aug 1, 2024

Can citizens’ assemblies help counter a rising populist tide in the West?

By Moritz Ludwig and Joely Virzi

Germany’s initial steps at participatory democracy deserve a close look as one way to address rising populism that could threaten liberal democracies in the West.

Civil Society Elections

Experts react

Jul 31, 2024

Experts react: Two top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders have been killed. What’s next for Israel, Iran, and the war in Gaza?

By Atlantic Council experts

What will these two assassinations mean for the broader regional conflict in the Middle East? Our experts delve into the possibilities.

Crisis Management Defense Policy

Fast Thinking

Jul 31, 2024

Will the killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders lead to a wider war?

By Atlantic Council

The recent killings of Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s Fouad Shukur, both reportedly by Israel, raise new questions about what’s next for the region. Atlantic Council experts share their answers.

Conflict Iran

New Atlanticist

Jul 31, 2024

The case for chief gender officers in Caribbean states

By Valentina Sader

Caribbean countries should consider appointing chief gender officers to help address issues such as gender-based violence.

Caribbean Freedom and Prosperity

New Atlanticist

Jul 30, 2024

Dispatch from Rio: Can Brazil set up the G20 leaders’ summit for success?

By Ananya Kumar, Mrugank Bhusari

Brasília has sought to acknowledge fundamental disagreements on geopolitics between some members, and then to sidestep them entirely at the ministerial level. How long can this approach last?

Brazil Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jul 30, 2024

To deter Russia, NATO must adapt its nuclear sharing program

By Michael John Williams

Russian President Vladimir Putin has time and again played the United States and its European allies, believing that they are too scared of the long shadow cast by nuclear weapons to push back against his threats.

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fast Thinking

Jul 29, 2024

Can Maduro hold onto power?

By Atlantic Council

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has claimed victory despite evidence of fraud and intimidation. What will the opposition and the international community do next?

Democratic Transitions Elections

New Atlanticist

Jul 29, 2024

Experts react: Maduro is clinging to power after a disputed election. What’s next for Venezuela?

By Atlantic Council experts

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council has declared incumbent Nicolás Maduro as the winner of Sunday’s presidential election, in the face of widespread accounts of voter intimidation and other irregularities.

Corruption Elections

New Atlanticist

Jul 29, 2024

The EU needs to adapt its fiscal framework to the threat of war

By Piotr Arak

Without revisions, the bloc’s fiscal rules risk preventing member states from making necessary increases in defense spending.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Jul 26, 2024

‘We’re back to square one’ in fighting the hunger crisis, warns Cindy McCain

By Katherine Golden

At an Atlantic Council event on Thursday, the World Food Programme executive director warned that the world has lost the progress it has made over the past fifteen years on lowering global hunger levels.

Brazil Latin America

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