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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Our experts decipher and annotate major speeches and policy documents to break down big ideas and lay them out in plain language.

New Atlanticist

Mar 2, 2010

Estonia in NATO

By Kurt Volker

A small country has its advantages, if it knows how to use them. With less bureaucracy and fewer actors, most of whom have known each other for years, a small country can sometimes be more nimble and strategic than a large one. Of course there can be disadvantages and vulnerabilities as well – but that’s […]

New Atlanticist

Mar 1, 2010

French Burqa Ban Widely Supported in Europe

By James Joyner

As France goes ahead with its ban on the wearing of the burqa, a new FT-Harris poll shows majority support for doing the same in the UK, Italy, Spain, and Germany — and strong opposition in the United States.

United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Mar 1, 2010

The Ukrainian ‘W’

By Alexander Motyl

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych bears a striking resemblance to former President George W. Bush. Although Bush was born rich and Yanukovych poor, both were rowdy as youths, with the former drinking and carousing and the latter serving two jail terms for hooliganism.

Ukraine

New Atlanticist

Feb 26, 2010

Dutch Afghanistan Exit a Game Changer

By Julian Lindley-French and Kurt Volker

The Dutch Government has fallen over Afghanistan. As a result the August 2010 withdrawal of Dutch forces from Uruzghan, the Afghan province into which the Netherlands has invested money and lives for eight years, will be confirmed.

New Atlanticist

Feb 26, 2010

Russian Economic Model Dead? From BRIC to BIC?

By James Joyner

Anders Åslund asserts that “The Putin model of crony state capitalism is dead” and consequently “the juggernaut of emerging economies in Brazil, Russia, India and China is being reduced from BRIC to BIC.”

New Atlanticist

Feb 26, 2010

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Policy

By James Joyner

Alexandros Petersen, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Energy Center, was interviewed by Azerbaijan’s News.Az’s Aliyah Fridman. Three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and one was wounded when Armenians broke the cease-fire on 18 February. May the incident lead to a new war between Azerbaijan and Armenia? Unfortunately, cease-fire violations are common in the […]

New Atlanticist

Feb 25, 2010

NATO’s Future: Realism Required

By James Joyner

In his speech on revising the NATO Strategic Concept, Defense Secretary Bob Gates termed European reluctance to adequately staff its militaries and shoulder a proportionate share of the operational burden "an impediment to achieving real security and lasting peace."

Cybersecurity Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 25, 2010

Marja and the Battle for Helmand Province

By Don Snow

The battle for the Helmand provincial town/city (population around 80,000) is now well underway. It has been advertised as the center of the current “surge” in Afghanistan, an entirely unveiled reference to and comparison with the 2007 exercise in Iraq that lowered the level of violence there sufficiently.

New Atlanticist

Feb 25, 2010

Assessing Pakistan’s Crackdown on the Afghan Taliban

By Bernard Finel

Who knew it would turn out to be quite so simple to round up much of the senior leadership of the Afghan Taliban?

New Atlanticist

Feb 24, 2010

Jones: NATO Must be Lean, Agile, and Flexible

By James Joyner

In a provocative closed door session yesterday, National Security Advisor Jim Jones proclaimed that “NATO must be prepared to address, deny, and deter the full spectrum of threats, whether emanating from within Europe, at NATO’s boundaries, or far beyond NATO’s borders.”

NATO Security & Defense

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