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

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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.

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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.

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New Atlanticist

Jun 15, 2009

Iran’s Elections: What Now?

By James Joyner

The debate over the legitimacy of Iran’s elections are, in the end, a sideshow. First, because the office of president is essentially powerless. While President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the most visible face of the government, he’s not the one making key decisions on nuclear weapons, regional relations, or human rights.

Iran

New Atlanticist

Jun 15, 2009

Iran’s Elections: What We Know (And What We Don’t)

By James Joyner

Twitter, the blogosphere and the print media (but not, for a variety of reasons, the 24 hour cable news stations) have been abuzz with the Iranian election results, including allegations of fraud and the resulting mass demonstrations and police crackdown. We have more questions than answers at the moment.

Iran

New Atlanticist

Jun 15, 2009

A Constructivist Take on the Strait

By Max Tsung-chi Yu

In the 2007 article “Why We Fight over Foreign Policy” in the Hoover Institution journal Policy Review, Henry Nau writes: “Why do we disagree so stridently about foreign policy? An easy answer is because leaders lie about events aboard.”

New Atlanticist

Jun 12, 2009

The Americanization of Afghanistan Continues

By James Joyner

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and senior American officials have sought for months to allay European fears about an “Americanization” of the mission in Afghanistan. Today, however, it became all but a fait accompli.

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Jun 11, 2009

Europe’s Lunatic Fringe in Charge?

By James Joyner

The Economist says Sunday was “a worrying night for those who believe in a Europe of open borders” noting that, “In many countries, large protest votes went to populist, fringe and hard-right politicians vowing to close borders, repatriate immigrants or even dismantle the European Union in its current form.”

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jun 11, 2009

Africa: Next Steps

By Lynn Roche

In the weeks before President Obama’s July trip to Ghana lies an extraordinary opportunity to set the tone for the U.S. approach to Africa in this administration. Doing so can take advantage of the enormous amount of experience, expertise and plain-old goodwill that exists in an area that doesn’t often make the front page.

New Atlanticist

Jun 11, 2009

Why Obama Can’t Reset Relations with Putin’s Russia

By Alexander Motyl

U.S. President Barack Obama wants to “reset” America’s relations with Russia, but the nature of the Russian regime won’t permit much change. Obama can easily reject the style and correct the mistakes of his predecessor, George W. Bush, but doing so will not alter the fact that Putin’s Russia must engage in imperialist rhetoric and […]

Russia United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Jun 10, 2009

Iran’s Election and U.S. Foreign Policy

By Bernard Finel

The Administration of George W. Bush was close to an unmitigated disaster for the image of the United States abroad. His ill-informed, often offensive, and counter-productive public statements and policy preferences set back American national security dramatically. Trying to undo some of the damage of the Bush years is the reason that President Obama has […]

Iran United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Jun 10, 2009

Wars of Necessity and Wars of Choice

By Harlan Ullman

Wars are ultimately about judgment and should be so regarded and defined.

New Atlanticist

Jun 9, 2009

Progress on East-West Energy Corridor Continues

By Alexandros Petersen

These days it seems like the East-West Energy and Transport Corridor is being undermined from almost every direction. The grand idea of the 1990s – which saw the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipedream became an enormously successful reality – seems to be faltering a decade later.

Energy & Environment

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