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.

Exploring ‘Turkishness’: women’s rights, entrepreneurship and ethno-religious identity

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.

New Atlanticist

Jan 24, 2011

Exploring ‘Turkishness’: women’s rights, entrepreneurship and ethno-religious identity

By Zeynep Dereli

The modern Turkish Republic was founded as a secular democracy. As we are approaching the centennial of the founding of the Republic we can see how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go. We still face significant issues regarding human rights, particularly in relation to minorities and women. Turkey still struggles […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 24, 2011

Who Will Play the Lead in Eurasia’s Pipeline Opera?

By Alexandros Petersen

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was in Turkmenistan last week negotiating ways the Caspian country’s vast natural gas reserves might ameliorate European dependence on Russian resources through the so-called Southern Energy Corridor. Coming on the heels of a successful agreement inked in Baku to bring Azerbaijani gas to the European Union, Barroso’s meeting in […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jan 21, 2011

Is China Trying to Divide U.S. and Europe?

By Banning Garrett

Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks with President Barack Obama this week on the heels of Vice Premier Li Keqiang’s charm offensive in Europe early this month. Li, the presumptive future premier, made deals to purchase European government bonds, buy European goods and invest in European countries. Should the United States — and Europe — […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 21, 2011

Jihadists Losing Momentum?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

The fourth issue of Inspire, al Qaeda’s online English-language magazine, appears to be running out of ideas to provoke mayhem among the heathen nations and the Muslims who do their bidding. Women jihadis are praised for their courage and men chastised for sitting on their hands. Singled out is Roshanara Chaudry sentenced to life in […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 20, 2011

Obama’s Mid-Term Report Card

By James Joyner

Today marks the second anniversary of Barack Obama’s inauguration as president and, thus, the halfway mark of his term. How’s he doing so far? The easy answer is to give him an Incomplete. After all, it takes a long time to see the results of policy changes. Nonetheless, based on what we know so […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 20, 2011

Hungary’s Media Law Draws EU Protests

By James Joyner

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was greeted with protests from some EU parliamentarians when he addressed them as its rotating president of the European Council. Spiegel: Orbán began his speech to the European Parliament at 10:36 a.m. on Wednesday morning. He had hardly had time to greet the assembled deputies before being interrupted by […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jan 20, 2011

China’s Seat At The Big Table

By James Joyner

A great line was going around Twitter last night: "The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner holds a State Dinner for a man who has the 2010 winner under House Arrest." And, indeed, there was some amusing irony in President Obama, the 2009 winner, hosting Chinese President Hu Jintao for a massive state dinner. Among his […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 19, 2011

America Has No Strategy

By Harlan Ullman

Despite America’s penchant for lauding its “exceptionalism,” regarding “strategic thinking,” this exceptionalism applies to getting that thinking right. Too often, we get it wrong or allow it to be absent without leave. Over the past century, our record has been poor. We won World War I yet, in the aftermath, we helped sow the seeds […]

New Atlanticist

Jan 13, 2011

Making Europe Count in the Caspian

By Borut Grgic

After a along period of political neglect the EU is finally responding to its critics by sending the President of the EU Commission, Mr. Barroso on a Caspian tour. The choice of countries is especially important – Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Clearly, energy is at the forefront of Mr. Barroso’s agenda. European Union is expecting to […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jan 13, 2011

An Indispensable Man

By Harlan Ullman

French President Charles DeGaulle cautioned the overly ambitious with the admonition that cemeteries are filled with the indispensable and irreplaceable. Regarding Pakistan, the good general was wrong. Punjab’s late governor, Salman Taseer, gunned down last week by a member of the provincial government’s Elite Police security unit, was as close to being indispensable to assuring […]

Share

Issue briefs and reports