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

New Atlanticist

Feb 8, 2011

Atlantic Update 2/8/11

By Jason Harmala

NATO announces the cost of its new headquarters to be €1billion, Russia speaks against the militarization of the Arctic, and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton plans a visit to Egypt.

New Atlanticist

Feb 8, 2011

Piracy Presents Opportunity for NATO-Russia Cooperation

By Ronak Desai

Combating the scourge of maritime piracy has emerged as a promising area of cooperation between NATO and the Russian Federation. During last month’s annual NATO-Russia Council (NRC) meeting, Moscow’s Ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, called for “detailed discussions” on how best to coordinate counter-piracy efforts off the Somali coast, and proposed organizing NATO-Russian naval patrols […]

New Atlanticist

Feb 8, 2011

Wildfire in the Middle East

By David Smith

Last December 17, fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself aflame to protest his humiliation and beating at the hands of corrupt officials in Tunisia. This sparked a wildfire that smoked Tunisian strongman Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali out of office and, at this writing, appears to be spreading across the Middle East, from Mauritania to Yemen. Its extent […]

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2011

The IdealoRealist Moment

By Frederick Kempe

Perhaps the most positive outcome of the Munich Security Conference that ended Sunday was the blurring of the lines between realism and idealism–often considered irreconcilable approaches to U.S. foreign policy–when it comes to Egypt in particular and the Middle East more broadly. What appears to be emerging is what I would call “IdealoRealism.” In short, […]

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2011

Frank Wisner on Mubarak: Gaffe or Conflict of Interest?

By James Joyner

Frank Wisner, President Barack Obama’s envoy to Cairo who generated controversy over the weekend by declaring that Egypt’s Hosni "Mubarak must stay in office" to facilitate a smooth transition, has been recalled following revelations that he has financial ties to Mubarak’s regime. The Independent’s Robert Fisk broke the news that Wisner is a lead attorney at the […]

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2011

A More Optimistic Davos

By Richard Edelman

I have come down from the mountains for the twelfth time, with my head still aching not from excessive partying but from information overload at the World Economic Forum. Imagine being invited to an all you can eat buffet, with the most delectable foods laid before you, but with an unrealistic ten minute time limit […]

Economy & Business Energy & Environment

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2011

The Power of Planning

By Kenneth Weisbrode

The predictable round of American finger-pointing over the crisis in Egypt has already begun. Senator Dianne Feinstein and others are demanding to know why the CIA did not warn the president that such a crisis was about to happen. Perennial critics of the intelligence community are busy recalling such failures of the past. Once again […]

New Atlanticist

Feb 7, 2011

Atlantic Update 2/7/11

By Jason Harmala

Western powers refrain from demanding Mubarak’s resignation, and a row continues between Japan and Russia over the disputed Kuril Islands.

New Atlanticist

Feb 4, 2011

Cyber Security and Freedom: Rules For The Road

By James Joyner

"Cyberspace is changing the way we view and conduct foreign policy as well as transforming our everyday lives," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told the Munich Security Conference today. He offered to host an international conference to establish global norms. Hague noted just how far ranging the cyber arena has become, touching most aspects of […]

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 4, 2011

Leviathan in the Levant

By Alexandros Petersen

The recent discovery of the Leviathan natural gas field off the coast of Israel, though not a game changer like shale in terms of global gas supplies, promises to have major implications for the country’s energy security and even the energy balance of the region at large, while setting off competition over other finds in […]

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