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.

Transatlantic Zero Should be Front and Center at US-EU Summit

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

Nov 19, 2010

Transatlantic Zero Should be Front and Center at US-EU Summit

By Peter S. Rashish

With leaders from the U.S. and EU gathering for a bilateral summit meeting in Lisbon this weekend, there is a need for a headline-grabbing initiative that can help the under-performing transatlantic relationship live up to its potential. Eliminating tariffs on trade across the Atlantic – “Transatlantic Zero” – can do just that, and should be […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 19, 2010

NATO’s Defense Budgets 2011

By Simona Kordosova

As NATO leaders meet in Lisbon, their responsibility includes charting the Alliance’s course in an age of austerity. The fiscal crisis that swept across both sides of the Atlantic put enormous pressure on defense budgets. As NATO leaders approve a new Strategic Concept and commit to strengthen capabilities to guard against a new array of […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Nov 19, 2010

The G-20 Challenge and its Implications on NATO

By Jason Harmala

In the latest installment of the New Atlanticist Podcast Series Atlantic Council senior fellow Sarwar Kashmeri interviews George Magnus, Chief Economist of UBS Investment Bank. Magnus discusses the challenges of accommodating the separate economic agendas of the G-20 member countries and the possible implications on NATO’s thoughts about reaching out to the fast growing Asian […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 19, 2010

Getting Natural Gas to the Balkans

By Borut Grgic

Following years of conflict, international isolation and slow growth, the Balkan countries are on an economic revival track, with GDP growth hovering around 5 percent. Sure, the numbers are more impressive in China, India, Brazil and Turkey, but when compared to the rest of Europe, the Balkan economies are doing great. That is the good […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2010

A Plan to Blunt the Impact on NATO of European Defence Cuts

By Hans Binnendijk and Richard Kugler

Austerity budgets in Europe will mean that key NATO members are going to cut their defence costs in ways that could damage the alliance’s military preparedness. Britain’s defence cuts could total as much as 20% by 2014-2015, and Germany and France plan to reduce their defence budgets by about 6% through 2013, and their forces […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2010

Breaking the Security Cooperation Logjam Between Russia and the West

By Tomáš Karásek and Jakub Kulhanek

NATO is gearing up to meet in Lisbon to sign off on its new strategic doctrine and Russia is in the spotlights again with a new offer of partnership with the Alliance in the pipelines. Yet, despite vague proclamations the current rapprochement on security matters lacks any solid foundation on which the West and Russia […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2010

NATO’s Missing Agenda Item in Lisbon

By Ian Brzezinski

As NATO leaders prepare for their summit in Lisbon this week, attention has focused on the war in Afghanistan, approval of a new Strategic Concept (NATO’s roadmap for the future), and the challenge of sustaining the alliance’s military capabilities in an era of fiscal crisis. Missing from the agenda is the future of the U.S. […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 17, 2010

NATO’s Ten Point Strategy

By Karl-Heinz Kamp

There will be disappointment when NATO publishes its new strategy at the Lisbon summit later this week. “Way too general and nothing new in it” will be the verdict of op-ed columnists. Shall these few pages really be the blueprint for NATO’s role in the 21st century? Is NATO’s new Strategic Concept much ado about […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 17, 2010

Pakistan Bombshell

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Some can’t wait to get out of Afghanistan and some can’t wait to see us leave. NATO allies now want out ASAP. Some have already left (Dutch troops), others are preparing to leave (Canadians) and soon the allied fighting force will be reduced to 100,000 Americans and 9,000 Brits. And Afghan President Hamid Karzai now […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 17, 2010

Obama at the Plate

By Harlan Ullman

To borrow a baseball analogy, U.S. President Barack Obama is in a terrible batting slump. Buttressed by huge expectations given the foreign policy and economic disasters set in place by his predecessor, the first president of color — I completely dissent from the practice of using ethnic, racial or religious characterizations of our people as […]

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