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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New Atlanticist

Jun 23, 2010

A Possibly Dangerous Summer, Continued

By Harlan Ullman

The U.S. political system was designed by the best minds of the 18th century. But today, the issues and crises of the 21st century are profoundly more complex, numerous and interrelated. To be sure, this system has changed with the times. However, when faced with an unprecedented multitude of simultaneous challenges and crises, most with […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 23, 2010

Afghanistan: Time for Unified Policy

By James Joyner

General Stanley McChrystal’s widely-publicized comments deriding senior Obama administration officials and their roles in the Afghanistan strategy have, as he himself has acknowledged, "compromised the mission." He’s meeting with said team this morning and could well be fired. Regardless, it’s time to come up with a unified and coherent policy.

New Atlanticist

Jun 22, 2010

Turkey Bets on East Over West

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Geopolitical tectonic plates began grinding menacingly five years ago when Turkey embarked on negotiations for membership in the European Union but it didn’t take long for Ankara to conclude that EU was play acting. There was little appetite for adding 70 million Turkish Muslims (80 million by the end of a projected 10-year negotiation) to […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jun 22, 2010

McChrystal’s Loose Lips May Sink Afghan Ship

By James Joyner

General Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, has been ordered home by an angry president after several intemperate remarks made in a Rolling Stone interview. The piece, "The Runaway General," originally scheduled to debut Friday, has been rushed online. Phil Stewart and Adam Entous, reporting for Reuters, summarize the most controversial bits: […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 22, 2010

Russia’s Foreign Policy: What’s Next?

By Nikolas Gvosdev

When President Barack Obama welcomes President Dmitry Medvedev to the White House on June 24th, he should ask the Russian president one blunt question: What do you want? In the last several weeks, I’ve attended several meetings on and heard numerous commentaries about the U.S.-Russia relationship, and one consistent theme has resounded: what are the […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 21, 2010

China’s Renminbi Gambit

By James Joyner

Over the weekend, China announced just ahead of the Toronto G20 summit that it would "enhance the RMB exchange rate flexibility" in response to" the recent economic situation and financial market developments at home and abroad, and the balance of payments (BOP) situation" at home. What does this mean?

New Atlanticist

Jun 21, 2010

Gaza Flotilla Incident: Implications for Middle East Peace

By James Cook

As Israel prepares to conduct its official inquiry into the recent Israeli Defense Force (IDF) raid on the flotilla attempting to breach the blockade against Gaza, it is important to understand how this tragic incident affects U.S. national security interests in the Middle East. The episode highlights the difficulty in balancing Israel’s legitimate security requirements […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 21, 2010

Blowback in Afghanistan?

By Don Snow

Whenever official Washington, be it the White House, the Pentagon, or the military, describe what is happening in Afghanistan, it is always discussed in terms of “progress.” This creates the mental construct that whatever is going on must be forward moving–we hardly ever think that progress can be negative. So, when things go well in […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 18, 2010

Borut Grgic: Azerbaijan as a Source for Natural Gas

By Borut Grgic

Borut Grgic, nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council, was recently interviewed by the Azeri Press Agency of Azerbaijan. The interview transcript is presented below. “Turkey is already over dependent on Russia, so Ankara is keen to receive gas from Azerbaijan” – Azerbaijan and Turkey have recently signed a package of agreements on gas supplies to […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 18, 2010

When Smart Power Meets Dumb Bureaucracies

By Derek Reveron

Prior to coming to office, the Obama team emphasized the importance of smart power. For example, now-Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michelle Flournoy argued for establishing “a robust interagency process for strategy, planning, and budgeting that would enable the United States to assess long-term threats and opportunities, set clear priorities, allocate and manage risk, develop […]

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