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.

New Atlanticist

Jun 8, 2009

European Parliament Moves Right

By James Joyner

The weekend’s European Parliament produced good news for the center-right parties, bad news for the center-left, and good news for radical parties of all stripes.

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jun 7, 2009

Expand the West by Looking South

By Nikolas Gvosdev

For some reason, American strategic planners can only conceive of the “Atlantic community” along an east-west axis. Azerbaijan, lying on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, can aspire to membership in the Euro-Atlantic world; after all, it is part of the European Union’s “Eastern Partnership” initiative and aspires to eventual NATO membership. Yet inexplicably, […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 5, 2009

Britain’s Brown on Borrowed Time

By James Joyner

Despite an embarrassing drubbing of his Labour Party at the polls and the resignation of several key ministers, the UK’s Gordon Brown vows “I will not waver, I will not walk away, I will finish the work.” Most observers, however, think he’s operating on borrowed time.

United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Jun 5, 2009

Obama Can’t Smooth U.S.-Arab Divide with Talk

By Bernard Finel

President Barack Obama’s Cairo speech was designed to help improve our image in the Arab world. It won’t work. Ultimately, if we want to improve our relations with the Arab world, we would need to change the substance of American policy in the region. Rhetoric cannot overcome facts on the ground.

New Atlanticist

Jun 5, 2009

Time: Friend or Foe

By Harlan Ullman

Ironically and unsurprisingly, when it comes to emerging threats, time may be our best friend. Or time can be our most serious foe. Time can solve problems. After all, it was a matter of time — and a great deal of it — for the Soviet Union to implode peacefully. On the other hand, as […]

New Atlanticist

Jun 4, 2009

Misreading Turkey’s Strategic Goals

By James Joyner

A recurring theme of mine on this blog has been Turkey’s strange behavior for a country that purports to aspire to a full membership in the Western community of nations. Ankarra has frequently been a thorn in the side of its NATO allies and is simultaneously demanding entry into the EU and unwilling to modify […]

Turkey

New Atlanticist

Jun 4, 2009

Challenges for U.S.-India Relations

By Habeeb Noor

India’s recent elections demonstrated the resiliency of its democratic system, bringing to power a stable and strong government for the first time in over a decade. Manmohan Singh was given a decisive mandate to continue as prime minister, while the Communists and various regional parties that had previously stalled reforms were rendered insignificant.

New Atlanticist

Jun 4, 2009

Obama’s Cairo Speech

By James Joyner

President Obama’s Cairo University speech to the Muslim world was much like a State of the Union address, in that was a laundry list of items that tried to have a little something for everyone. Also, as with his Strasborg town hall speech and his call for hitting the reset button with Russia, Obama said […]

North Africa

New Atlanticist

Jun 4, 2009

China-Europe Relations a One-Way Street

By Damien Tomkins

Sino-European relations are a one-way street going in China’s direction. A recent report describes it as “unconditional engagement,” a “policy that gives China access to all the economic and other benefits of cooperation with Europe while asking for little in return.”

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jun 3, 2009

5 Questions for Henrik Liljegren

By James Joyner

Henrik Liljegren, an Atlantic Council board member, served 42 years in Sweden’s diplomatic corps, including stints at Ambassador to the United States, Turkey, East Germany, and Belgium. I had the opportunity to get his thoughts on some key issues of interest to our community.

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