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.

Bringing a Gun to a Knife Fight: Striking Back in Cyber Conflict

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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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.

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Our experts decipher and annotate major speeches and policy documents to break down big ideas and lay them out in plain language.

New Atlanticist

May 24, 2011

Bringing a Gun to a Knife Fight: Striking Back in Cyber Conflict

By Jason Healey

If you pull a knife on a gunslinger, don’t be surprised if you get shot. This is one of the messages of the President’s new International Cyber Strategy.

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

May 24, 2011

Strategy and Technology: A Fading Lesson from European History

By Julian Lindley-French

In Memoriam. Dawn. 24 May, 2011. North Sea. Seventy years ago to the hour a fifteen inch (38cm) shell from the German fast battleship KM Bismarck entered above the aft main magazine of the British battlecruiser HMS Hood – the ‘mighty Hood’. The ensuing explosion had the force of a small atomic weapon and the […]

New Atlanticist

May 23, 2011

Arab Spring, Act II

By Temuri Yakobashvili

The fighting in Libya and deadly protests in Syria rage on. But the enduring legacy of the Arab Spring will be forged after the battles have ended, as liberated lands like Tunisia confront the task of building stable, democratic societies. Seen in light of the experiences of Afghanistan and Iraq over the past decade, this […]

New Atlanticist

May 23, 2011

British to EU Translation

By James Joyner

Variations on the above "Anglo-EU Translation Guide" have been around for a couple of years but gained new life when Alex Massie posted it. It may come in handy during President Obama’s visit.

New Atlanticist

May 22, 2011

US-Pakistan Relations: No More Business As Usual

By Shuja Nawaz

The US-Pakistan alliance is fraying. But there may yet be some hope.

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2011

Taking the Long View on the Middle East Revolts

By Barry Pavel

The President’s speech on the Middle East yesterday finally outlined the Administration’s initial principles for addressing one of the most significant developments in international relations in a generation. Until yesterday, the debate about options in Libya and how to approach the Middle East revolts in general was far too narrow in scope and too near-term […]

New Atlanticist

May 20, 2011

NATO and the EU: Centrifugal Forces and Fragmentation?

By Ioan Mircea Pascu

Even before the adoption of the New Strategic Concept and the Lisbon Summit, one of the major concerns of the new allies, namely us from East-Central Europe, was the necessity that NATO retains the capacity to honour its fundamental obligation to guarantee the security of its members. That was so because, on the one hand, […]

European Union
International Organizations

New Atlanticist

May 19, 2011

The European Onion and European Defence

By Julian Lindley-French

Deepest, darkest Yorkshire – The Awakening. When I was a lad my grandmother’s house in Sheffield had an outside toilet. This was not uncommon in the grittier parts of the Yorkshire industrial belt. There was a phrase used at the time to describe someone or something that had ideas above their station. “It is like […]

European Union
International Organizations

New Atlanticist

May 19, 2011

Long Live Web 3.0?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Global Tower of Babel or new forms of social organization on a planetary scale? There are now a quarter of a million sites that call themselves social networks — up from 850 in two years. Twitter, Facebook, My Space, and Linkedin are the better known but few seem to understand the difference between social media […]

New Atlanticist

May 18, 2011

IMF Must Oust DSK Today; Fix Leadership Issues For Future

By Julie Chon

After three days of tepid statements from government officials, two female finance ministers from Europe finally questioned Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s ability to continue as Managing Director and Secretary Geithner echoed their concerns. While Strauss-Kahn is entitled to a fair trial, the IMF and the citizens it represents deserve a return to stability. The IMF Board has […]

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