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.

Bound to Fail: International Mediation in Georgia

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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Experts React

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

Oct 17, 2008

Bound to Fail: International Mediation in Georgia

By David Phillips

It was no surprise that that international discussions on the security and stability arrangements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke down on October 15.

Russia The Caucasus

New Atlanticist

Oct 17, 2008

NATO Enlargement: The Unanswered Question

By James Joyner

FAS’ Steven Aftergood draws our attention to “NATO Enlargement: Albania, Croatia, and Possible Future Candidates,” [PDF] a recent study by the Congressional Research Service.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 16, 2008

NATO in Kosovo: 10 Years Later

By James Easaw

In the wake of UN Security Council Resolutions 1160 and 1199 of March and September 1998, the international community grappled with how to deal with the atrocities being perpetrated in a little known province of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) called Kosovo. A decade later, Kosovo, an independent state in Europe, has been moved […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Oct 16, 2008

Pakistan: No Money, No Energy, No Government?

By James Joyner

A top secret National Intelligence Estimate leaked to the papers earlier this week portrays the situation in Pakistan as “very bleak,” with one drafter saying the country has “no money, no energy, and no government.”

New Atlanticist

Oct 16, 2008

Financial Crisis Map

By James Joyner

The folks at Reuters have compiled several tools to help us keep track of developments in the world financial crisis, including news roundups, videos, a timeline, and some graphics.

Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Oct 15, 2008

Reports of America’s Decline Greatly Exaggerated

By James Joyner

Bret Stephens notes that there has been a steady stream of American decline commentary, especially from our friends in Europe, in recent weeks and that much of it brims with “ill-disguised glee.”

New Atlanticist

Oct 15, 2008

Financial Crisis Humor

By Neil Leslie

Last week Iceland was put up for sale on eBay allowing users “a unique opportunity to buy a Northern European country.” The auction began at a modest 99p but soon rose to £10,000,000 ($18,000,000). Bids, however, plateaued around that mark after it was revealed that Björk was not included in the price.

Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Oct 14, 2008

Financial Crisis: The (Evolving) View from Europe

By Peter Cassata

European views on the financial crisis are changing rapidly, but governments finally seem to have settled on a rescue package. Only four weeks ago, my colleague James Joyner noted a conspicuous lack of concern in the European press over growing U.S. financial woes.

Economy & Business European Union

New Atlanticist

Oct 14, 2008

European Union Really United?

By Hugh De Santis

No longer in a state of denial, the Europeans have painfully acknowledged the arrival of the banking crisis to their shores. Acting in concert with the Federal Reserve Bank and the Bank of England, the European Central Bank announced an emergency interest rate cut to ease the intensifying global financial crisis.

European Union International Organizations

New Atlanticist

Oct 14, 2008

On the Shores of Lake Geneva: Integrity or Partnership with Aggression?

By David Smith

Russian occupation forces withdrew from parts of Georgia last week in partial fulfillment of their obligations under the ceasefire agreements of August 12 and September 8. In violation, the Russian army remains in Akhalgori, Perevi and Upper Abkhazia. Europe offered mixed reactions. Washington mumbled that it will make an assessment this week.

European Union International Organizations

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