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.

Ricks’ The Gamble: Much Better Than Fiasco

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

Mar 31, 2009

Ricks’ The Gamble: Much Better Than Fiasco

By Magnus Nordenman

Thomas Ricks’ new book The Gamble is an excellent account of how the US strategy in Iraq changed in late 2006 in response to the near disaster that was the US occupation of Iraq starting in 2003.

New Atlanticist

Mar 31, 2009

Why Climate Change Is So Hard

By Robert Manning

As climate negotiators gather in Bonn for a key preparatory meeting for the UN post-Kyoto climate talks in Copenhagen next December, international expectations are high that the Obama administration will bring the U.S. back into the fold.

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2009

G20 Expectations: The View from Europe

By Valerie Nichols

European expectations about the upcoming G20 summit are rapidly on the decline. Although most European nations began preparations with a relatively rosy outlook, many are now warning against an all-encompassing economic agreement coming out of the summit.

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2009

Obama: Need to Refocus on Al Qaeda

By James Joyner

President Obama told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the Bush administration had lost its focus in Afghanistan and that his team will “refocus attention on al Qaeda.”

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2009

Erdogan Says Rasmussen Pick Would Damage NATO

By James Joyner

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, widely seen as the faraway front runner to replace Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as NATO secretary-general, came under fire this weekend from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. AP:

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Mar 30, 2009

Irish Politics Go to the Toilet

By Valerie Nichols

The UK press has been having a field day with a caricatures of the Irish premier in a compromising if not at all uncommon situation. While the controversy is admittedly entertaining, it poses some interesting questions about the limits of political expression.

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Mar 29, 2009

Brown Global Stimulus Plea Falls on Deaf Ears

By James Joyner

Gordon Brown’s call for a “global new deal,” in which the G20 leaders would provide more than $2 trillion in stimulus to fight the global recession, is finding no takers in Europe.

Economy & Business United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Mar 28, 2009

Obama’s Afghanistan Plan: What’s So New About It?

By James Joyner

President Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan has won the backhanded praise of Hamid Karzai, who termed it “better than we were expecting.” Gordon Brown has lauded the plan as well and called for NATO to do more.

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Mar 28, 2009

Economist Has Buyer’s Remorse on Obama

By James Joyner

The editorial board at The Economist (which apparently considers itself a “newspaper” despite coming out weekly in magazine format) praises President Obama for having “already done some commendable things” in the foreign policy arena but charges that, domestically, “His performance has been weaker than those who endorsed his candidacy, including this newspaper, had hoped.”

Economy & Business United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Mar 27, 2009

New Afghanistan Plan: Still No Exit Strategy

By James Joyner

President Obama gave a speech this morning outlining his new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which served as the unveiling of a (slightly) more detailed white paper [PDF].

Afghanistan Pakistan

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