TRACKING NATO SPENDING

Trackers and Data Visualizations

Jun 20, 2025

NATO Defense Spending Tracker

By Kristen Taylor

The Transatlantic Security Initiative’s NATO defense spending tracker delves into data and figures to analyze current defense spending trends.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

FEATURED READING

Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

New Atlanticist Jun 27, 2025

Four fundamental questions the NATO Summit did not answer

By Torrey Taussig

Over the coming months, NATO allies will have to wrestle with questions about the US commitment to Europe, their shared approach to China, and more.
Conflict Defense Industry
Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

Inflection Points Jun 26, 2025

Dispatch from The Hague: It’s been Trump’s week in Europe and Iran

By Frederick Kempe

What connects the recent events in Iran and at the NATO Summit is that they won’t be remembered for the threats countered but rather for the opportunities seized.
Europe & Eurasia Iran
Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

Fast Thinking Jun 25, 2025

Trump warmed to NATO at The Hague. But what about Ukraine?

By Atlantic Council

Allies reiterated their commitment to collective defense. But absent from the communiqué was any mention of how Russia’s war against Ukraine should end.
Europe & Eurasia NATO
Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

New Atlanticist Jun 25, 2025

Experts react: NATO allies agreed to a 5 percent defense spending target in a low-drama summit. Now what?

By Atlantic Council experts

The Alliance summit was notable for what was said and done, especially about defense spending—but also for what was left off the agenda.
Europe & Eurasia NATO
Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

Inflection Points Jun 24, 2025

Dispatch from The Hague: How Trump can build on his Middle East success with NATO

By Frederick Kempe

As the Alliance summit begins, the US president can already justifiably trumpet three major achievements in the Middle East. Will he add one more in Europe?
Conflict Europe & Eurasia
Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

New Atlanticist Jun 23, 2025

Expect NATO’s new spending pledge to be overshadowed by weakening US commitment and inaction on Ukraine

By Ian Brzezinski, Ryan Arick

The Hague summit will ultimately be defined by what the US president communicates about his commitment to transatlantic security and what NATO allies do to support Ukraine.
Defense Policy NATO
Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

New Atlanticist Jun 20, 2025

What counts as ‘defense’ in NATO’s potential 5 percent spending goal?

By John R. Deni, Ryan Arick

The Alliance must ensure that “defense related” items truly contribute to collective defense as it plans its new, larger spending goal.
Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia
Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

Issue Brief Jun 5, 2025

Immediate steps that Europe can take to enhance its role in NATO defense

By Franklin D. Kramer, Kristen Taylor

As NATO members gather in the Hague amid uncertainty about US commitment to the continent and concerns about Russia’s military rebuilding, what can European nations do to deter and, if necessary, defeat threats from Moscow?
Europe & Eurasia NATO
Germany wants to double its defense spending. Where should the money go?

New Atlanticist Jun 5, 2025

What explains the transatlantic rift? It’s all about threat perception.

By Jason Davidson

NATO allies’ differing threat perceptions provide the backdrop for what could be a contentious summit in The Hague this month.
Defense Industry Defense Policy

FEATURED EVENTS

Online Event Thu, July 3, 2025 • 8:00 am ET

Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Europe’s security after the NATO Summit

AN #ACFRONTPAGE EVENT—Finnish President Alexander Stubb shares his conclusions from the NATO Summit in The Hague and how Europe must adapt its approach to security.

Conflict Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia European Union
Online Event Fri, June 20, 2025 • 4:00 pm ET

Sweden’s foreign minister on the 2025 NATO Summit agenda

Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard joins the Atlantic Council to discuss the NATO Summit and the future of transatlantic relations.
Europe & Eurasia NATO Northern Europe Politics & Diplomacy
Online Event Tue, June 10, 2025 • 12:00 pm ET

Senator Jeanne Shaheen on Russia’s war and The Hague summit

Shaheen joins Punchbowl News’ Andrew Desiderio for a conversation on the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague and US policy on Russia and Ukraine.
Conflict International Organizations NATO
Public Event Wed, May 14, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

Navigating a new era of NATO

A discussion on navigating a new era of NATO in today’s shifting geopolitical environment.
Europe & Eurasia NATO Security & Defense United States and Canada

TUNE IN

Programs and initiatives

The Transatlantic Security Initiative, in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, shapes and influences the debate on the greatest security challenges facing the North Atlantic Alliance and its key partners.

Learn more

Content

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

New Atlanticist

Aug 27, 2025

When it comes to securing Ukraine, the US cannot stay on the sidelines

By Ian Brzezinski

Ensuring Ukraine’s security after a peace agreement will require a deterrent force with substantial presence in the country, including forces from the United States.

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Aug 27, 2025

Punaro discusses the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Bloomberg Radio

By Atlantic Council

On August 5, MajGen Arnold Punaro (ret.), a Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow, discussed developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Bloomberg Radio.

Conflict Defense Industry

In the News

Aug 23, 2025

Wieslander interviewed on Times Radio

Director for Northern Europe, Anna Wieslander gave her assessment of the Russia-Ukraine negotiations after the Alaska and White House-summit in a longer interview in “Superpowers” by Times Radio, August 22. Wieslander comments on the three main dimensions of the peace talks, how the Europeans leaders succeeded in increasing leverage for Ukraine at the White House […]

National Security NATO

New Atlanticist

Aug 21, 2025

Crisis management and resilience: Lessons from Latvia for NATO allies

By Heidi Hardt and Māris Cepurītis

Latvia’s experience offers an example of how a small state can respond to complex, hybrid crises.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

In the News

Aug 20, 2025

Wieslander interviewed on TV4 Nyhetsmorgon

Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe, appeared on Swedish TV program “Nyhetsmorgon”, Wednesday August 20, to comment on the developments in the negotiations for peace in Ukraine. Wieslander argues that Europe needs to do more to put pressure on Russia by transfering the frozen Russian state assets in European banks to a Ukrainian reconstruction fund […]

NATO Northern Europe

TURKEYSource

Aug 20, 2025

Transatlantic experts highlight the importance of growing US-Turkish defense ties

By Alp Ozen, Zeynep Egeli

On July 23 in Istanbul, on the sidelines of the International Defense Industry Fair, the Atlantic Council Turkey Program organized an event to discuss transatlantic defense relations and strategic cooperation in a region in flux, gathering business leaders, diplomats, and experts.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Aug 19, 2025

Europe needs to keep up the momentum for Ukraine after its White House show of force

By Jörn Fleck, James Batchik

Among other steps, European leaders should press forward on defining what security guarantees for Ukraine look like.

European Union France

Fast Thinking

Aug 18, 2025

Was Trump’s summit with Zelenskyy and European leaders a turning point for Russia’s war in Ukraine?

By Atlantic Council

Our experts share their perspectives on what the White House summit means for efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine and provide security assurances for Kyiv.

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Aug 18, 2025

Wieslander interviewed on Swedish TV

On Monday August 18th, Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe, appeared on Swedish news program Aktuellt to comment on the Washington-summit between President Trump, President Zelenskyy and European leaders. European leaders tried to bring greater clarity to the issue of American security guarantees to Ukraine, but question marks remain comments Wieslander. Wieslander goes on to […]

National Security NATO
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Experts

Fellow

Justina Budginaite-Froehly

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Industry European Union

Fellow

Dominika Kunertova

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Artificial Intelligence Central Europe

Fellow

Vytautas Leškevičius

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Arms Control Crisis Management

Fellow

James Hursch

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia NATO

Fellow

David Julazadeh

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Technologies English

Fellow

Heidi Hardt

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Transatlantic Security Initiative

Climate Change & Climate Action International Organizations
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