LOOK BACK ON THE WASHINGTON SUMMIT

Atlantic Council at the NATO Summit in Washington

Live commentary, authoritative analysis, and high-level events covering NATO’s Washington summit, courtesy of our experts.

Essays on the Alliance’s future

NATO’s seventy-fifth anniversary is a milestone in a remarkable story of reinvention, adaptation, and unity. However, as the Alliance seeks to secure its future for the next seventy-five years, it faces revanchist old rivals, escalating strategic competition, and uncertainties over the future of the rules-based international order. 

With partners and allies turning attention from celebrations to challenges, the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative invited contributors to engage with the most pressing concerns ahead of the historic Washington summit and chart a path for the Alliance’s future. This series features seven essays focused on concrete issues that NATO must address at the Washington summit and five essays that examine longer-term challenges the Alliance must confront to ensure transatlantic security. 

Related program

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.

Content

In the News

Nov 6, 2024

Michta for RealClearDefense on how the Pentagon must re-strategize weapon procurement

On November 4, Director and Senior Fellow of the Scowcroft Strategy Initiative Dr. Andrew Michta published an article or RealClearDefense on the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine and how Pentagon planners and defense contractors should re-strategize its approach to weapons and munitions procurement. He pointed out that the most sophisticated long-range precision fire […]

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Issue Brief

Nov 5, 2024

How Sweden and Finland’s membership in NATO affects the High North

By Anna Wieslander

This issue brief explores the impact of Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership on the High North. Having Sweden and Finland in NATO strengthens the influence of the Alliance in the High North, as it responds to Russia's military buildup and China's regional interests. Deterring aggression while maintaining Arctic stability amidst rising geopolitical tensions will require new defense priorities and enhanced Nordic collaboration.

NATO Northern Europe

Report

Nov 4, 2024

NATO needs a ‘hellscape’ defense at ‘Replicator’ speed

By Franklin D. Kramer, Kristen Taylor

To enhance deterrence, the NATO Alliance should adopt a 'hellscape' approach designed to acquire and field low-cost, highly effective massed armaments, prepositioned on the forward lines of conflict, within a two-to-three year timeframe.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

New Atlanticist

Nov 1, 2024

NATO needs a defense industrial strategy that prioritizes being strong, smart, and together

By Kristen Taylor, Luka Ignac

A recent two-day summit underscored the ways in which the credibility of allied deterrence hinges on robust defense industrial cooperation.

Defense Policy Defense Technologies

New Atlanticist

Oct 31, 2024

Congressman Mike Turner on how the ‘emerging axis of evil’ will challenge the next US administration

By Daniel Hojnacki

The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence discussed the threats to US security that the next president will face.

China Conflict

New Atlanticist

Oct 30, 2024

From Stoltenberg to Rutte: Italy’s hopes and concerns with NATO’s new leadership

By Gabriele Natalizia

Rome should seek clarity from the new NATO secretary general and Italy’s allies on the Alliance’s plans to ensure southern flank security.

Italy Maritime Security

Testimony

Oct 25, 2024

Andrew A. Michta testifies to the Helsinki Commission on Russia’s aggression in Central and Eastern Europe

By Andrew A. Michta

Andrew A. Michta, director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, testified before the Helsinki Commission on Russia’s imperial ambitions in Central and Eastern Europe.

Central Europe Eastern Europe

New Atlanticist

Oct 24, 2024

To stay relevant and maintain support, NATO needs to get outside of Washington, DC

By Kristen Taylor

Recent visits to Seattle and Austin underscore that the Alliance needs to engage more where most Americans live, outside of the US capital.

NATO Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Oct 21, 2024

Braw in CEPA’s Europe’s Edge on grayzone warfare

By Elisabeth Braw

On October 21, Transatlantic Security Initiative senior fellow Elisabeth Braw wrote an article in CEPA’s Europe’s Edge on hybrid warfare and the underwhelming response to such threats by the Western allies.

Europe & Eurasia National Security

TURKEYSource

Oct 16, 2024

Turkey and the West’s Black Sea interests converge more often than is acknowledged—opening up opportunities for cooperation

By Maryna Vorotnyuk

Turkey and the West have clear opportunities for more effective cooperation in the Black Sea, but both sides need to show will.

Eastern Europe NATO

Experts

Events