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.

Obama to Close Guantánamo Prison. Eventually.

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.

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

Jan 13, 2009

Obama to Close Guantánamo Prison. Eventually.

By James Joyner

Like his erstwhile opponent for the White House, John McCain, President-elect Barack Obama spent the last two years condemning the existence of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp and promising to close it if elected. Now, however, he’s hedging his bets a bit.

New Atlanticist

Jan 12, 2009

Iceland Joining Eurozone?

By James Joyner

BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell believes Iceland will be forced into the Eurozone — and perhaps even the EU — as a result of the financial crisis. The country has been particularly hard hit, with the krona plummeting in value as the home of some of the world’s largest bank failures.

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Jan 12, 2009

Pakistan Adrift, Washington Afraid

By Jeffrey Lightfoot

Pakistan is adrift, and Washington is gripped with worry over the competence and prospects of Pakistan’s civilian government. The United States and Pakistan are caught in a dangerous spiral where Pakistani inactivity and incompetence lead to more heavy-handed U.S. policies, which stirs up more anti-Americanism among the Pakistani public.

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Jan 12, 2009

The Crisis Beyond Gaza

By Don Snow

The Israeli assault against Gaza grinds on. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has put dusty boots on the ground (it doesn’t rain enough for them to be muddy), and the bombing and shelling by both sides continue. Civilians, as is usually the case in this part of the world, bear the brunt of the suffering. […]

Israel Middle East

New Atlanticist

Jan 12, 2009

Defeating Pakistan Extremism Requires Regional Strategy

By James Joyner

Shuja Nawaz, head of our new South Asia center, was interviewed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty yesterday on the Pakistan-Afghanistan nexus. The entire feature appears below as a courtesy to our readers.

New Atlanticist

Jan 12, 2009

U.S.-Georgia Charter is Historic

By David Smith

Meeting in the ornate Treaty Room atop the State Department in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze on Friday signed the United States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership. “I want the people of Georgia to know,” said Rice, “that they will always have a friend in the United States […]

The Caucasus

New Atlanticist

Jan 11, 2009

Hamas’ War Crimes

By James Joyner

I’ve joined what seems to be a consensus of Western observers in decrying Israel’s heavyhanded tactics and callous disregard for civilian casualties in its invasion of Gaza. It’s worth remembering, however, that it’s fighting a terrorist enemy that commits war crimes with casual impunity.

New Atlanticist

Jan 9, 2009

Can Israel Win?

By James Joyner

Time‘s Tim McGirk asks, “Can Israel Survive its Assault on Gaza?” While rather hyperbolically phrased, it’s a good question.

Israel

New Atlanticist

Jan 9, 2009

Future of International Energy Security

By David Capezza

As the New Year ushered in yet another natural gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine, an initially subdued European response turned lively as the effects of the cut began to be felt throughout the Continent. While the immediate crisis has apparently been resolved, it highlights the longer term question of how Europe (and the U.S.) […]

Energy & Environment

New Atlanticist

Jan 9, 2009

Marriot Bombing Planner Killed in CIA Strike

By James Joyner

The head of al Qaeda in Pakistan was killed last week, Joby Warrick reports on page 1 of today’s WaPo. A New Year’s Day CIA strike in northern Pakistan killed two top al-Qaeda members long sought by the United States, including the man believed to be behind September’s deadly suicide bombing at a Marriott hotel […]

Pakistan

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