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

Apr 30, 2009

Gates: I’d Walk through Fire for Bush

By James Joyner

President George H.W. Bush was presented the 2009 Atlantic Council Distinguished International Leadership Award by Defense Secretary Bob Gates, who served as Deputy National Security Advisor and later CIA Director in his administration.

New Atlanticist

Apr 30, 2009

Petraeus: NATO Faces Very Urgent Moment

By James Joyner

General David Petraeus, in his acceptance speech for the Atlantic Council’s 2009 Distinguished Military Leader Award, proclaimed that he is “a huge believer in the importance of the Alliance” but warned that NATO “now faces a very urgent moment.”

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Apr 30, 2009

Council Awards Gala: A Night to Remember

By James Joyner

At the 2008 awards dinner, the Atlantic Council honored Tony Blair, Rupert Murdoch, Mike Mullen, and Evgeny Kissin. We had the likes of Colin Powell and Henry Kissinger introducing the introducers. It was inconceivable that we would be able to top that. And, yet, we did just that last night.

New Atlanticist

Apr 29, 2009

NATO and Russia Resume Formal Relations

By James Joyner

NATO and Russia today resumed formal relations, which were broken off in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Georgia.

NATO Russia

New Atlanticist

Apr 29, 2009

Protests a Healthy Part of Democracy

By David Smith

When there is interesting news from just down the road, most people focus on that, largely ignoring events in other countries. But in our globalized world, a few keystrokes put us in touch with London, Paris, Rome or New York. Google is marvelous. A few hops around cyber space yield two observations. First, almost […]

New Atlanticist

Apr 28, 2009

British Artist Tax Revolt

By James Joyner

There’s a nascent revolt of Britain’s millionaire artists protesting the UK’s high taxes. Over the weekend, Andrew Lloyd Webber spoke out and now he’s been joined by Michael Caine.

United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Apr 28, 2009

Obama AfPak Strategy Déjà Vu All Over Again

By Hugh De Santis

President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan strategy is looking eerily similar to the approach former President George W. Bush employed in his effort to remake Iraq. Through a combination of increased military muscle, diplomatic pressure, reconstruction aid, and support from friends and allies, the Obama administration hopes to end the scourge of al-Qaeda and the Taliban and […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Apr 27, 2009

Swine Flu Outbreaks Prompt EU Travel Warnings

By Valerie Nichols

The European Union’s top health official today urged Europeans to postpone any nonessential travel to the U.S. and Mexico. With more than 1,600 cases and 103 deaths in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak, and with confirmed cases in the U.S. doubling to 40, the World Health Organization worries of pandemic potential while economists […]

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Apr 27, 2009

Afghanistan is Irrelevant

By Bernard Finel

It is now a deeply entrenched conventional wisdom that the decision to “abandon” Afghanistan after the Cold War was a tragic mistake. In the oft-told story, our “abandonment” led to civil war, state collapse, the rise of the Taliban, and inevitably terrorist attacks on American soil. This narrative is now reinforced by dire warnings about […]

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Apr 25, 2009

UN: United States Must Prosecute Torture Lawyers

By James Joyner

The United States is required to prosecute lawyers who authored memos approving harsh interrogation techniques in possible violation of international law, the UN’s top anti-torture official proclaimed Friday.

International Organizations Politics & Diplomacy

Share

Issue briefs and reports