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.

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

Mar 11, 2011

Before Internet

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

The Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist factions staged hit-and-run attacks against government buildings and officials in the early 1980s and almost succeeded in killing the president of a country that has remained eerily quiet during the geopolitical tsunami that is still sweeping the Arab world. You’re supposed to guess which country. The president was on […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 11, 2011

Iran and the Arab Sandstorm

By Jonathan Paris

Much has been said about Iran taking advantage of the instability in the Arab world to increase tensions. Sending two ships through the Suez Canal to a Syrian port, at this time, signalled Iran’s desire to project Iranian power far beyond its neighbourhood. But such stunts miss the point. The more important consequences of the […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 11, 2011

Atlantic Update 3/11/11

By Jason Harmala

The U.S. warns NATO allies against a quick Afghanistan troop drawdown, and the EU is holding a crisis summit to discuss Libya.

New Atlanticist

Mar 10, 2011

NATO Action Cannot Replace A Security Council Resolution in Libya

By Sarwar Kashmeri

As the situation in Libya becomes daily more chaotic, pressure mounts on President Obama to militarily intervene on the side of the Libyan opposition. He should resist these calls. Without a clear mandate from the United Nations Security Council in support of Libyan intervention, the United States has little to gain, and much to lose […]

International Organizations
Politics & Diplomacy

New Atlanticist

Mar 10, 2011

The Shark Stops Swimming

By Barbara Slavin

Iranian politics increasingly resemble a brutal game of musical chairs. Last month, two former senior politicians who ran against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009 disappeared into political detention. On Tuesday, March 8, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani — a former president and for three decades one of Iran’s most powerful politicians — lost his post as […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 10, 2011

30 Seconds Over Tripoli

By Harlan Ullman

“A mind is a terrible thing to lose,” U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle once Malapropped in a mistaken reference to the NAACP’s slogan that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. But Quayle’s remark applies to the U.S. debate about whether to impose a “no-fly zone” over Libya and perhaps dislodge Moammar Qaddafi from […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 10, 2011

Atlantic Update 3/10/11

By Jason Harmala

NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the situation in Libya, and France recognizes the Libyan rebel leadership as the country’s legitimate government.

New Atlanticist

Mar 9, 2011

No Ordinary Meeting

By Ivo Daalder

When U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates meets with our 27 Allies this week, it will be no ordinary affair. Their focus this week: Libya, Afghanistan, and historic reform at NATO itself. It’s the first time all of NATO‘s Defense Ministers will meet since the 28 Leaders of the Alliance set forth in November at the NATO […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 9, 2011

Germany Tops World Influence Ratings; Iran Last

By Derek Reveron

As a consequence of globalization, many countries increasingly show concern with how they are perceived in the world. Perception impacts both material benefits like foreign direct investment levels and non-material things like national esteem. To improve perception, countries seek to enhance their appeal or soft power through aid programs, cultural exchanges or hosting international sporting […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 9, 2011

Atlantic Update 3/9/11

By Jason Harmala

The Irish Republic swears in Enda Kenny as its new leader, and Europe continues to debate over action in Libya.

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