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

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

Oct 6, 2010

Repairing NATO-Pakistan Relations

By Derek Reveron Nikolas Gvosdev and Hayat Alvi

Recent attacks on NATO supply lines in Pakistan and Pakistan’s official suspension of access through the Khyber Pass really underscore the challenges facing NATO in Afghanistan. Shuja Nawaz recently explained This situation could easily careen out of control. The Obama administration, which is unhappy with what it perceives as Pakistan’s lack of action against anti-American […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 6, 2010

Pakistan: Is It Over, Over There?

By Harlan Ullman

Just when it seemed that things could not get worse, they do. One would have thought that given the ongoing catastrophic floods, conditions in Pakistan were at a nadir. But last week, several incidents lowered even that bar regarding U.S.-Pakistani ties. NATO forces in Afghanistan made two unauthorized incursions into Pakistan, the second killing three […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 5, 2010

Pipeline Politics Play Out in Istanbul

By Alexandros Petersen

The Southern Corridor, the planned natural gas link to non-Russian resources in the Caspian and Middle East, will largely determine the future energy security of the European Union. At the moment, the corridor is merely a concept. Only piecemeal infrastructure is in place on the ground in Turkey, which is the key bridge between gas […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 5, 2010

NATO’s Future: An Adaptable and Unifying Strategic Concept

By David Capezza

Over the course of the last few years, NATO member states have been pondering the very future and relevance of the transatlantic organization.

New Atlanticist

Oct 5, 2010

Pakistan: Nervy One-Star

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

It was at the officers club in the military garrison town of Rawalpindi, a short drive from the capital of Islamabad. The one-star brigadier general, holding a glass of mango juice, asked for permission to speak to the three-star corps commander. They spoke in English as Pakistani generals are prone to do when speaking among […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 4, 2010

Cyberattacks After Stuxnet

By Derek Reveron

Recent revelations about the Stuxnet worm have changed the way we think about cyber attacks. It is remarkable for a number of reasons. It is the first known worm to target exclusively industrial control systems that are used in factories, power plants, chemical facilities, and other large systems. In the most dramatic scenario, the worm […]

Cybersecurity
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 4, 2010

Developments in Pakistan Won’t Help Relationship with the U.S.

By Shuja Nawaz

Even as the recently released tell-all Obama’s Wars by Bob Woodward raises fresh doubts about the U.S.-Pakistan relationship and will likely stoke mistrust in the United States about Pakistan as a partner against the Afghan Taliban, a series of stories that paint the Pakistani army in a negative light will undoubtedly contribute to the tensions.

New Atlanticist

Oct 4, 2010

Innovantion and Stagnation in Eurasia

By Alexandros Petersen

For the countries of the greater Black Sea region and Central Asia, the question of how to diversify their economies away from resource dependency or government-dominated industry is central to long-term growth and future political stability. Economic diversification is an explicit policy of energy-rich states such as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, and fostering innovation is a […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 1, 2010

General Musharraf’s Return

By Shuja Nawaz

"Today, God has given me the opportunity to set the tone for my political legacy. Come join me in changing Pakistan’s destiny. It is not an easy task but one we must work for, as Pakistan is ours. ‘All Pakistan Muslim League’ is our platform from where I will work tirelessly to serve Pakistan and […]

New Atlanticist

Oct 1, 2010

The Outlook for Unconventional Gas in Eurasia: Resources and Policies

By Boyko Nitzov

In a keynote speech before the Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum in Istanbul, Ambassador Richard Morningstar, the U.S. Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy, reflected on how much has changed about Eurasian energy issues since his work in the Clinton Administration. “On the supply side, shale gas and other developments could emerge as real game […]

Share

Issue briefs and reports