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.

Content

New Atlanticist

Dec 14, 2009

Tempering Afghan Optimism

By Don Snow

The recent announcements and statements of support for President Obama’s “surge” in Afghanistan have left me a bit confused, and I wonder if readers can help me out here. Something just does not compute.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Dec 14, 2009

Colin Powell Looks Back — and Ahead

By Frederick Kempe

Atlantic Council president and CEO Fred Kempe interviewed General Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the 65th U.S. Secretary of State, on the end of the Cold War and the future security environment. You were the chairman of the Joint Chiefs on the day that the Wall came tumbling down. […]

New Atlanticist

Dec 11, 2009

Zoellick: U.S. Must Play Active Role in Multilateral System

By James Joyner

World Bank president Robert Zoellick warned that we should be cautious in reforming the structure of international economic institutions. Making changes based on theoretical analysis while excluding the practical implications would have serious consequences. Responding to a question from Council president and CEO Fred Kempe about a proposal to end the practice of preserving the […]

New Atlanticist

Dec 11, 2009

Different Economic Tones in Europe and Asia

By James Joyner

World Bank president Robert Zoellick notes he was “struck by the very different tones” in recent financial summits in West and Asia, seeing a timidity in the former and an aggressive “growth agenda” in the latter.

Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Dec 11, 2009

Limits of Force: The U.S. in the 21st Century

By Chuck Hagel

We are only now coming to terms with what it will take to lead in the world that has evolved in the 20 years since the Berlin Wall’s fall, instructed by the hard lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan.

New Atlanticist

Dec 10, 2009

Transatlantic Trade More Important than You Think

By James Joyner

Despite perceptions here and in Europe that a G2 is emerging in which the United States and China will be international Goliaths largely oblivious to the world’s Davids, the fact of the matter is that “the United States and the EU together comprise 54 percent of global GDP.”

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

New Atlanticist

Dec 10, 2009

Obama ‘Snubs’ Norwegians en Route to Nobel Prize

By James Joyner

It seems that Barack Obama’s bid to repair relations with Europe continues to suffer setbacks caused by a combination of his own lapses and overweening sensitivities on the other side of the Atlantic. The latest issue, ironically enough, comes with today’s trip to Oslo to receive a Nobel peace prize.

New Atlanticist

Dec 10, 2009

Azerbaijan Key Energy Player with Limited Options

By Alexandros Petersen

Azerbaijan’s ongoing dispute with Turkey about transit terms and revenues for natural gas heading to Europe across Anatolia, as well as uncertainties about the Nabucco pipeline project, have compelled highest-level officials at Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company (SOCAR) to publicly consider the option of exporting hydrocarbons eastward, potentially to China and other East Asian markets.

New Atlanticist

Dec 9, 2009

Obama the Last Transatlantic President?

By James Joyner

Nicholas Kitchen, a fellow at London School of Economics, pronounces Barack Obama “the last transatlantic president” and sees little hope for revived relations between the United States and Europe.

New Atlanticist

Dec 9, 2009

Copenhagen Failure vs. Montreal Success

By C. Boyden Gray

What international agreement produced 10 times the climate benefits of Kyoto and could produce several times more greenhouse gas reductions than any post-2012 climate agreement? The answer: the Montreal protocol, which Kofi Annan described as “perhaps the most successful international agreement to date”. Because a new climate agreement is unlikely to emerge in Copenhagen in […]

Share

Issue briefs and reports