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.

Germany’s Iron Cross a New Symbol of Hope?

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.

New Atlanticist

Jul 8, 2009

Germany’s Iron Cross a New Symbol of Hope?

By Nicholas Siegel

On Monday, for the first time since 1945, German soldiers were awarded the Iron Cross for bravery on the field of battle. The ancient Teutonic symbol, which dates back to the Crusades and was first awarded as a military medal in 1813, was pinned onto the chests of four German servicemen who dragged wounded comrades […]

Germany

New Atlanticist

Jul 8, 2009

New NATO Concept a Chance for Europe to Recommit to Alliance

By Jan Techau

Yesterday, NATO officially kicked off the process of drafting a new strategic concept for history’s most enduring military alliance. Officials, soldiers, think tankers, and strategists from all 28 member states convened in Brussels to ponder ideas on how to make the Atlantic Alliance fit for its seventh decade in business.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 8, 2009

NATO: Relic or Revitalized?

By Harlan Ullman

Yesterday in Brussels, NATO kicked off a yearlong process to draft a new strategic concept. The last strategic concept was adopted a decade ago at the Washington Summit marking the alliance’s 50th anniversary, when NATO was at war in what turned out to be a 78-day bombing campaign to stop Serbia and its autocratic leader […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2009

Obama and Medvedev (Re)set Arms Limits

By Andrew Kessinger

Yesterday’s highly anticipated meeting between Presidents Obama and Medvedev, while hardly the so-called “reset” moment in U.S.-Russian relations, does shift the tone.

Russia United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2009

Russia Summit Achieves Little, As Expected

By James Joyner

Naval War College professor Nick Gvosdev, a contributing editor at the Atlantic Council, argued in advance of the trip that “Despite all the promises about a ‘reset’ in the U.S.-Russia relationship, the Obama administration still seems to be following a script crafted by its predecessor” but predicted that the visit would be “symbolically triumphal.” He […]

Russia

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2009

Honduras Coup and America’s Democracy Policy

By Bernard Finel

Latin America watchers have been transfixed over the past week with developments in Honduras. At first glance, the issue is simple: a group of armed thugs overthrew a democratic regime. This sort of military coup — which echoes the regimes of cliched colonels in sunglasses — was thought to have been relegated to the Latin […]

Latin America

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2009

Iran: Pursuing the Apocalypse

By Rafael Bardaji

The Islamic Republic of Iran has sealed its fate with the ruthless repression of its opponents, shelving the vote fraud, and granting legitimacy to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s second term in office. And if we do not do anything against this development, we will have sealed our fate, too.

Iran

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2009

Time to Shoot Down Missile Defense

By Don Snow

President Obama is in Moscow meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, with the shadow Vladimir Putin not far from their sight. The highlight of the talks, which are aimed at improving relations with Russia typically soured by the Bush administration, center on nuclear arms agreements, which were at the heart of Cold War negotiations and […]

Missile Defense Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jul 6, 2009

Russia and the West: Mindset, not Reset

By Jeffrey Lightfoot

When President Obama arrives in Moscow today for his much-anticipated summit with President Medvedev, he should temper his expectations. A dramatic improvement in the West’s relationship with Russia is unlikely to take place unless the “reset” moment is accompanied by a change in mindset from both parties.

Russia

New Atlanticist

Jul 6, 2009

Barack Obama: Global Leader

By Derek Reveron

Eighteen months before he was elected president, Barack Obama wrote in Foreign Affairs: The American moment is not over, but it must be seized anew. To see American power in terminal decline is to ignore America’s great promise and historic purpose in the world. If elected president, I will start renewing that promise and purpose […]

United States and Canada

Share

Issue briefs and reports