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.

Repairing NATO-Pakistan Relations Part II

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

Nov 1, 2010

Repairing NATO-Pakistan Relations Part II

By Derek Reveron Nikolas Gvosdev and Hayat Alvi

Last month, we considered how NATO and Pakistan could repair relations in the wake of Pakistan asserting its sovereignty in the aftermath of a border skirmish between NATO attack helicopters and a Pakistani border post. Fortunately, the Torkham Gate has been re-opened and Afghanistan-bound supply convoys from Karachi have resumed. The short-term crisis indicates that […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 1, 2010

Managing the West’s Decline

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Is the world balance of power shifting away from the West and moving to India and China? That’s what a number of geopolitical sages are discussing in think tanks from Moscow to Beijing to London to Washington. In a joint SOS piece in the November-December issue of Foreign Affairs, former U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Roger […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 29, 2010

Afghanistan Process Will Take Years

By James Joyner

Ivo Daalder, the US Ambassador to NATO, says that we are "seeing the corner and can peek around it in Afghanistan" and that a province-by-province handover of security responsibilities to the host government will "start in the first half of 2011."

New Atlanticist

Oct 29, 2010

Merkel Wins EU Reform Showdown

By James Joyner

Once again, Angela Merkel has held her ground and forced the other EU leaders to accommodate Germany’s policy concerns. This time, it’s a set of amendments to the Lisbon Treaty to deal with sovereign debt emergencies. UPI ("EU bows to Merkel over euro crisis rules") Bowing to most of the demands tabled by German Chancellor […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 28, 2010

Cybered Conflict as a New Frontier

By Chris Demchak

Understanding basic cybered conflict begins first with two critical adages for the cyberspace user at any organizational scale: ‘user beware’ and ‘user prepare’. First, if you or your organization are digitally connected to others to obtain something critical to the ability to operate, neither of you can sensibly fully trust anything reachable from that connect, […]

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 28, 2010

U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Again Tested by Nuclear Issue

By Ronak Desai

With President Obama scheduled to visit India in early November, officials in New Delhi are working with Washington to ease American concerns over nuclear liability legislation recently enacted by the Indian parliament that effectively precludes nuclear commerce between the United States and India. Formally entitled, “Civil Liability for the Nuclear Damages Bill, 2010,” passage of […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 27, 2010

NATO Losing in Afghanistan

By James Joyner

In a much-cited January 2008 report, the Atlantic Council warned, "Make no mistake, the international community is not winning in Afghanistan. Unless this reality is understood and action is taken promptly, the future of Afghanistan is bleak, with regional and global impact."

New Atlanticist

Oct 27, 2010

Why Great Institutions Fail

By Harlan Ullman

Why have a surprisingly large number of great institutions, supposedly impervious to failure, from super banks and mammoth insurance companies to giant automakers recently failed? Are these spectacular failures cyclical and thus inevitable whether due to God or man? Or are there more universal explanations? Do governments, irrespective of political basis or party affiliation, […]

Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Oct 27, 2010

NATO in an Age of Austerity

By James Joyner

World Politics Review has published a special issue on "NATO’s Identity Crisis" ahead of next month’s Lisbon summit and the unveiling of a new Strategic Concept. I contributed the lead essay, "NATO in an Age of Austerity."

New Atlanticist

Oct 26, 2010

Save NATO: Merge it with CSDP

By Sarwar Kashmeri

NATO isn’t working, warns Sarwar Kashmeri, who advocates a U.S, Canadian and EU joint project that would "bridge" the Atlantic alliance with Europe’s fledgling defence and security framework. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has been the most successful military alliance in history. Few people on either side of the Atlantic, or anywhere else in the […]

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