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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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

Feb 1, 2011

Iran Cracks Down While Egypt Cracks Up

By Barbara Slavin

While the world’s attention has been riveted by Arab uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt this month, Iran’s government has taken the opportunity to execute a record number of prisoners in an apparent bid to head off the return of the dramatic street protests that pushed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government to the brink in June 2009. […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 31, 2011

Egypt, Values, and Geostrategy

By James Joyner

A group of academics have issued an open letter to President Obama calling on him to "approach Egypt through a framework of shared values and hopes, not the prism of geostrategy." It is also clear to us that if you seek, as you said Friday "political, social, and economic reforms that meet the aspirations of the Egyptian […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 31, 2011

Atlantic Update 1/31/11

By Jason Harmala

With Egypt dominating most of the world’s headlines, European headlines include developments in Belarus, news of a 2.4% inflation increase in the Eurozone, and Hungary’s new willingness to discuss its controversial media law.

New Atlanticist

Jan 31, 2011

Turkey’s Dynamic Resurgence in the New Global Era

By Zeynep Dereli and Jean-Pierre Lehmann

In a recent article in Newsweek, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan branded the EU “geriatric” and “comatose.” This reflects not only Ankara’s frustrations with the EU accession process, but also the global transformations of the early 21st century.

New Atlanticist

Jan 31, 2011

Egypt Needs Reform, Not Revolution

By George Grant and Alexandros Petersen

The mounting pro-democracy protests in Egypt against the 30-year tyranny of Hosni Mubarak are an encouraging development in the wake of Tunisia’s ousting of its own long-time autocrat, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, earlier this month. It is tempting, indeed altogether proper, to hope for “people power” changes of governance across the autocratic Arab world. […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 29, 2011

Supporting Democratic Aspirations of All People

By James Joyner

The unfolding revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have captured the world’s attention and imagination. And raised anew some old questions about what, if anything, the West and the United States in particular should do. In his January 25 State of the Union address, President Obama pointed to the "desire to be free in Tunisia, where the […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 28, 2011

Atlantic Update 1/28/11

By Jason Harmala

NATO and Russia discuss terrorism and missile defense, German and Dutch parliaments renew Afghanistan commitments, and discussion of the Euro takes center stage at Davos.

New Atlanticist

Jan 28, 2011

Ukraine’s Democracy Woes in Perspective

By Adrian Karatnycky

Recent weeks have seen a proliferation of statements attesting to growing international concern about the erosion of democratic freedoms in Ukraine. Those issuing them are missing the big picture.

Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Jan 28, 2011

Time to Think, Not Spend, Our Way Out of Danger

By Harlan Ullman

The traditional U.S. solution to military threats has generally been to spend rather than think our way clear of danger. With the wind down of the wars in Iraq and hopefully Afghanistan and the state of the economy with debts and deficits that seem endless, U.S. defense budgets will and must decline, probably dramatically. In […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 28, 2011

Tweeting Davos

By Frederick Kempe

Atlantic Council president and CEO Fred Kempe has been attending the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos. In addition to his blog posts, he’s been sharing his thoughts via his Twitter account.

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