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.

When an Ally’s in Trouble, America Responds

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

Stay updated

Explore our unique analysis

Fast Thinking

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.

Content

New Atlanticist

Mar 28, 2011

When an Ally’s in Trouble, America Responds

By Robert Bracknell

On March 11, America’s perennial ally Japan suffered the double calamity of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a powerful ensuing tsunami. Resultant electrical failures at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant caused reactor cooling systems to fail, resulting in overheating, reactor explosions and the release of radiation into the atmosphere. So far, about 7,500 are […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 28, 2011

Libya War Humor: A Limited Humanitarian Intervention with Gaddafi’s Face

By James Joyner

The above cartoon by Matt Bors encapsulates the bemused reaction I’m seeing via Twitter and elsewhere over the Obama Administration’s attempts to persuade the American people that, appearances to the contrary, the United States is not at war with Libya.

New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2011

Oh, Canada

By James Joyner

Minutes after the announcement that a Canadian General will be commander of yet to be fully defined NATO operations in Libya, we learned that Stephen Harper’s government has fallen after a no-confidence vote.

New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2011

Unify NATO’s Libya Operation

By Damon Wilson

Fighting effectively requires fighting coherently under a unified chain of command. In Libya, this means NATO exercising effective command and control of the coalition operations. The Alliance now has command of two of three pillars of the military operation: enforcing the arms embargo with a naval blockade and (as of a few hours ago) enforcing […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2011

US-Russia Relations: Reset—Fahgettaboudit; Get a New Hard Drive

By David Smith

American Vice President Joseph Biden whisked through Moscow and Chisinau last week, promoting the Obama Administration’s “reset” of US-Russian relations. Ushering Russia into the World Trade Organization, the VP said, is an American priority. He ticked through the accomplishments attributed to reset, leveled some unvarnished criticisms at his Russian hosts and exited through Moldova, an itinerary that […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 25, 2011

Kabul Spring: The End of the Beginning of NATO Operations in Afghanistan

By Derek Reveron

Spring officially began this week and the nice weather ushered in a new year (1390) in Afghanistan. If the blooming fruit trees and budding roses are indicative, the spring looks promising. To be sure, NATO and Afghan forces anticipate the challenges of a new fighting season. But NATO and Afghan military and police have also […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 24, 2011

Libya: The View from Germany

By Natascha Braumann

Almost a week after Germany’s abstention in the UN Security Council, the domestic political debate is as heated as ever. Lothar Rühl, writing in Wednesday’s Frankfurter Allgemeiner Zeitung, summarizes the confusion and disharmony among NATO allies over the establishment and enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya. And, almost as an afterthought, he claims that […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 24, 2011

Libya and Africa

By Peter Pham

As Western-led operations against forces loyal to Libya’s Colonel Muammar Gaddafi continue, most analysis in the media has situated events in the context of the developments in the Middle East and its impact on it. Largely forgotten, however, is that Libya is an African power whose fate has significant implications for the rest of the […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 24, 2011

Libyan Quagmire

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Are we becoming the tribe that lost its head? The war to get rid of Moammar Gadhafi, the Libyan fashion plate wreck, is already running $100 million a day. The White House says it isn’t planning to request emergency funding — at least not yet. The Pentagon will have no choice in the matter. It […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 23, 2011

West’s Goal Must be Gaddafi’s Removal

By Kurt Volker

The launch of Western military operations to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1973 is long overdue, but nonetheless welcome: After weeks of delay, brutal attacks by the regime, and a loss of momentum for the rebellion, Colonel Gaddafi’s counter-revolution might now be halted.

International Organizations
Politics & Diplomacy

Share

Issue briefs and reports