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

Feb 14, 2009

New President, Same World

By Derek Reveron

On February 12, President Obama’s Director of National Intelligence provided the annual threat assessment of the intelligence community to the Senate. With his testimony, Admiral Blair provided the Senate and the world a clear view of what keeps him up at night.

New Atlanticist

Feb 13, 2009

Fulfilling Reagan’s Dream: Nuclear Disarmament

By Joe Craft

In 1986 at the Reykjavik summit, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, both passionate about nuclear disarmament, shocked deterrence experts with an unimaginable proposal – total nuclear disarmament. “It would be fine with me if we eliminated all nuclear weapons,” said Reagan. “We can do that,” replied Gorbachev, “Let’s eliminate them. We can eliminate them.”

New Atlanticist

Feb 13, 2009

Russia’s Latin Affections?

By Cynthia Romero

Russia and Cuba are getting cozy again. After almost two decades of estrangement, the odd couple is back, and this time it’s an open relationship. They are both looking to involve other partners, namely Venezuela and Nicaragua, and Russia has made clear there are no more lavish gifts like the old Soviet subsidized oil price. […]

Cuba Russia

New Atlanticist

Feb 13, 2009

US and Russian Navy Arrest 26 Somali Pirates

By James Joyner

U.S. Navy and Russian warships arrested 26 suspected Somali pirates this week, Andrew Njuguna reports for AP.

Somalia

New Atlanticist

Feb 12, 2009

British Conservative Party Edits Wikipedia to Back Brown Claim

By James Joyner

It seems a staffer for Gordon Brown engaged in a bit of truthiness. When checking facts with Wikipedia it helps to know who edited the entry last. In their weekly debate Wednesday in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and would-be prime minister David Cameron clashed over — of all things — […]

United Kingdom

New Atlanticist

Feb 12, 2009

Azerbaijan Air Force Chief Murdered

By James Joyner

Rail Rzayev, head of the Azerbaijan air force, was murdered in front of his home Wednesday, Aida Sultanova reports for AP. An unidentified gunman fatally shot Azerbaijan’s air force chief Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said — the highest-level killing to hit the oil-rich country’s armed forces in peacetime since the Soviet collapse.

New Atlanticist

Feb 12, 2009

Afghanistan and Pakistan Need Better Governments

By James Joyner

Shuja Nawaz, director of the Council’s South Asia Center, has an interesting post at Foreign Policy‘s new The Argument blog, entitled “Panic Stations in Kabul. Is Islamabad next?”

New Atlanticist

Feb 11, 2009

Obama Advisors Stiffed on Administration Jobs

By James Joyner

It seems that many of the fabled 300 foreign policy advisers to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign are more than a bit miffed to have been rewarded with hearty handshakes rather than plum positions within the administration.

United States and Canada

New Atlanticist

Feb 11, 2009

Wired For War Book Review

By Magnus Nordenman

The use of unmanned systems in warfare has exploded over the last decade. An interesting novelty just a few years ago, today the battlefield is swarming with unmanned vehicles that fly, hover, sit, roll, crawl, and swim. Unmanned aerial vehicles keep an eye on the terrain for NATO soldiers in Afghanistan and take out high-value […]

New Atlanticist

Feb 11, 2009

Hillary Clinton’s Job Description

By James Joyner

Martin Walker is the latest to question how influential Hillary Clinton will really be in making United States foreign policy, noting that other members of the vaunted team of rivals seem to be getting all the playing time.

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