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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.

South Asia in 2010: A Pivotal Year

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.

Read More

South Asia in 2010: A Pivotal Year

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

South Asia in 2010: A Pivotal Year

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

Jan 6, 2010

South Asia in 2010: A Pivotal Year

By Jonathan Paris

In addition to the obvious trouble spots – Afghanistan, Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict – the countries that will preoccupy the Obama administration in the coming year are the PITEY nations: Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and Yemen.

New Atlanticist

Jan 6, 2010

Strategic Incompetence: The Greater Threat?

By Harlan Ullman

To most Americans, with deference to climate change and Iran, the major national security threat to the nation emanates from al-Qaida. Yet strategic incompetence on our part may be a greater danger. This characteristic is not new.

New Atlanticist

Jan 5, 2010

What Yemen Tells Us About Afghanistan

By Douglas Farah

The recent and growing attention to the critical situation in Yemen, where al Qaeda’s presence is spreading and the government is weak and does not control much of the physical space, is perhaps the best argument for pursuing a vigorous Afghanistan policy.

Yemen

New Atlanticist

Jan 5, 2010

Assessing the Thwarted Christmas Attack

By Bernard Finel

The details of the thwarted attack on Northwest 253 on Christmas are still emerging.  Nevertheless, there are several issues worth exploring even as investigations continue.  Many commentators seem to feel that this event requires a major rethinking of our approach to counter-terrorism. 

New Atlanticist

Jan 5, 2010

Time to Retire the Russia Reset Button

By Nikolas Gvosdev

In 2010, one New Year’s resolution for the Obama administration would be to retire the entire “Russia reset” meme. From its ill-omened launch with the presentation of a button by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov – inscribed in Latin (not Cyrillic) letters with a Russian word that implies a party […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Jan 5, 2010

Progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

By Alexandros Petersen

Alexandros Petersen, a nonresident senior fellow at the Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, was interviewed by Azerbaijan’s Today.az on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

New Atlanticist

Jan 4, 2010

Mark Mardell Interview: Part II

By James Joyner

Sarwar Kashmeri, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s International Security Program, continues his interview with Mark Mardell, North America editor of the BBC, for the New Atlanticist Podcast Series.  In this second installment, Mardell discussed relations between NATO allies.

New Atlanticist

Jan 4, 2010

Unholy War in Cyberspace

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

For America’s 16 intelligence agencies, employing some 100,000 spies and analysts with a budget of $50 billion, it is almost mission impossible to figure out what terrorists and would-be terrorists are up to in cyberspace.

New Atlanticist

Jan 4, 2010

Presidential Mulligans

By Harlan Ullman

In golf, a mulligan is a “do-over” or second chance. An errant shot flies into a hazard or dribbles off the tee. The opponent graciously says “take a mulligan.” However, as far as golf etiquette is concerned, a mulligan must be played no matter where it lies.

New Atlanticist

Dec 24, 2009

Russia and Georgia to Reopen Border Crossing

By James Joyner

Georgia and Russia have agreed to re-open a key artery closed since 2006, another sign that Moscow would like to repair relations with its former satellite.

Russia The Caucasus
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