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
Jul 29, 2025

The Russia pressure menu: Options to convince Putin to negotiate on Ukraine

As the US president cuts his deadline for Russia to ten days, there are several options for him to increase pressure on Moscow to pursue peace.

New Atlanticist
Jul 24, 2025

Dispatch from Manila: A lesson in calling out Chinese maritime aggression

By
Markus Garlauskas, Philip W. Yu

As the Philippines has focused more on Chinese threats to itself, Manila also seems increasingly inclined to see its own security as connected to that of the broader region.

China
Indo-Pacific

New Atlanticist
Jul 1, 2025

The US must enforce sanctions to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program

By
Kimberly Donovan

To ensure that Tehran cannot get its hands on the financial resources it would need to rebuild its nuclear program, Iran sanctions enforcement should start with China.

Economic Sanctions
Iran

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New Atlanticist

Apr 8, 2010

Watching Karzai, Seeing Diem

By Don Snow

Historians warn us not to overgeneralize based on different events, citing the special circumstances that surround any particular event or complex of events.

New Atlanticist

Apr 7, 2010

Kyrgyzstan Revolution Topples Government

By James Joyner

Kyrgyzstan’s capital is under siege in a brutal riot that appears to have ousted Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the brutal leader who himself came to power in the Tulip Revolution.

New Atlanticist

Apr 7, 2010

Cyber Security Framework and Strategy Needed

By Harlan Ullman

Next week, representatives from dozens of countries will meet in Washington to discuss nuclear security. Clearly, proliferation of nuclear weapons to include theft and acquisition by terrorists or unfriendly regimes raise nightmarish scenarios.

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Apr 7, 2010

The NPR: Obama Finally Leading on NATO Nuclear Policy

By Damon Wilson

After much internal wrangling, the Obama administration has settled on a clever and well-prepared Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) which, without explicitly addressing NATO nuclear policy, clearly steers the unruly Alliance debate in a conservative direction. Consistent with President Obama’s commitment to "listen, learn and lead," the administration is finally leading on nuclear policy. However, the […]

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2010

Iraq Video: Collateral Murder? Or Fog of War?

By James Joyner

A disturbing video which seems to show American soldiers shooting unarmed civilians in Iraq — and to contradict official accounts of the incident back in 2007 — is making the rounds. CSM’s Dan Murphy has the backstory: A video released on the Internet Monday by WikiLeaks, a small nonprofit dedicated to publishing classified information from […]

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2010

Anti-American Posturing: The Root of All Our Problems

By Bernard Finel

In his New Atlanticist post, "Is Hamid Karzai Crazy?," James Joyner argues that the Afghan president’s recent statements about the presence of “foreigners” is just about Karzai bolstering his standing at home. This assessment is probably right, but the implied U.S. response — that we ought to do just slough it off — is problematic, […]

New Atlanticist

Apr 5, 2010

Is Hamid Karzai Crazy?

By James Joyner

On April Fools Day, Afghan President Hamid Karzai lashed out at "foreigners" who have been criticizing his corrupt, inept government, leveling bizarre charges that the rampant fraud in the recent elections was perpetrated by UN officials, the European Union, and other non-Afghans. It was, alas, no joke. In addition to bringing the retort from Peter […]

New Atlanticist

Apr 5, 2010

Ukraine’s Democracy in Danger

By Alexander Motyl

As Ukraine’s recently elected President Viktor Yanukovych prepares to visit Washington in April, he will aim to project an image of stability, confidence, and control. In reality, Mr. Yanukovych has committed a series of mistakes that could doom his presidency, scare off foreign investors, and thwart the country’s modernization.

Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Apr 2, 2010

Balancing Middle East Interests

By Don Snow

In a recent CNN appearance, Obama administration official David Axelrod answered a question about American-Israeli relations with the reply that it is the U.S. interest to guarantee “the long-term security of Israel and the region.” It was a standard, boiler plate answer and undoubtedly intended as such: Axelrod, after all, is not a foreign policy […]

New Atlanticist

Apr 2, 2010

Plea for Pakistan

By Harlan Ullman

Last week’s visit of a very high level Pakistani delegation to Washington to meet with their opposite American numbers was at best a first step in a very long, testing and crucial journey essential to bringing a measure of peace, stability and even some prosperity to a volatile and dangerous region. To be blunt, the […]

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