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.

Facing Global Threats Once More as United Nations

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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New Atlanticist

Aug 16, 2011

Facing Global Threats Once More as United Nations

By Dan Plesch

The world once again teeters on the brink of catastrophe, just as it did in the middle of the 20th century. Today, we face much more subtle threats – such as economic instability, climate change, weapons proliferation, and food shortages — than simply an axis of World War II adversaries. However, as with Hitler a […]

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Aug 15, 2011

New Iran Sanctions Could Bring Unintended Blowback

By Barbara Slavin

A new Congressional push to sanction Iran’s Central Bank is aimed at reducing Iranian oil revenues, but could backfire and hurt the global economy. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal disclosed a letter to the White House signed by 92 senators urging the Barack Obama administration to place new restrictions on dealings with the bank […]

Economy & Business Iran

New Atlanticist

Aug 15, 2011

NATO and the Afghan Surge

By William B. Caldwell IV

Five months ago, Senators Carl Levin and Jack Reed wrote in the Washington Post, “the best way to bring our troops home sooner while succeeding in Afghanistan is to build a stronger Afghan military and government.” Since we stood up the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan over 21 months ago, we can say that developing the Afghan […]

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Aug 12, 2011

“About Time, Mr President.” The Atlantic Charter Then and Now

By Julian Lindley-French

Blois, France. 14 August, 2011. Seventy years ago today President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met for the first time off the Canadian coast. “About time, Mr President”, said as the two men met. What emerged from that fateful meeting was the “Joint Declaration by the President and the Prime Minister”, which was soon […]

New Atlanticist

Aug 12, 2011

The Bullets Yet to be Fired to Stop the Crisis

By Kenneth Rogoff

Four years into the financial crisis, it is becoming increasingly clear that the biggest deficit is not in credit, but credibility. Markets can adjust to a downgrade of global growth, but they cannot cope with a spiralling loss of confidence in leadership and a growing sense that policymakers are disconnected from reality. What needs to […]

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Aug 12, 2011

Under NATO’s Flag: an Interim Assessment of the Mission in Libya (Part Three)

By Vladimir Socor

As in Iraq and Afghanistan, a Western coalition intervened in Libya with only a weak grasp of the local society.

Libya NATO

New Atlanticist

Aug 11, 2011

Responsibility to Protect? Sometimes

By Derek Reveron

The latest Syrian assault on its population and international reactions to it has once again raised the question, what does the “responsibility to protect”(R2P) mean in practice?

International Organizations Libya

New Atlanticist

Aug 11, 2011

Day of Infamy and High-Water Mark

By Harlan Ullman

The United States has endured and suffered through days of triumph and tragedy. Among the latter have been the stock market crashes of Sept. 28-29, 1929; Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941; John Kennedy’s assassination on Nov. 22, 1963; and, of course, Sept. 11, 2001, which needs no elaboration. Joining that infamous collection […]

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Aug 11, 2011

Black Swans Galore

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

A mid-summer poll in Arab nations Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by the Arab-American Institute found the “Arab Spring” isn’t good news for the United States.

New Atlanticist

Aug 10, 2011

US Debt Downgrade

By Hugh De Santis

Standard & Poor’s downgrade of US sovereign debt is bound to weaken America’s financial standing in the world. Because no other country is in a position to supplant the US as the anchor of the international financial system, its reduced economic status may be temporary. The downgrade also signals the end of America’s infatuation with […]

Economy & Business United States and Canada

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