TRACKING NATO SPENDING

Trackers and Data Visualizations

Jun 20, 2025

NATO Defense Spending Tracker

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

Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

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
Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

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
Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

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
Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

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
Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

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
Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

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
Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

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
Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

Issue Brief Jun 2, 2025

For NATO in 2027, European leadership will be key to deterrence against Russia

By Scott Lee, Andrew Michta, Peter Jones, and Lisa Bembenick

NATO lacks the operational integration, logistics, and joint force capabilities needed to quickly counter Russian mass and tempo near its borders. With the United States increasingly focused elsewhere, how can the Alliance retain military superiority in 2027 without overreliance on US military might?
Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia
Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

Issue Brief Mar 31, 2025

Why NATO’s Defence Planning Process will transform the Alliance for decades to come

By Angus Lapsley and Pierre Vandier

NATO’s successes over the last seventy-six years are the result of constant adaptation, and the Alliance is now going through its most profound changes since the end of the Cold War.
Europe & Eurasia International Organizations

FEATURED EVENTS

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

In the News

Mar 23, 2022

Lipsky quoted in Bloomberg on NATO unity

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 22, 2022

Grieco and Evans in DefenseNews: Biden should nudge Europeans to lead NATO

By Atlantic Council

On March 22, Kelly Grieco and Alec Evans published an op-ed in DefenseNews that advised President Biden to nudge European countries to lead NATO at this week’s summits in Brussels. “Though some have called for Biden to ‘lead from the front,’ a transatlantic relationship characterized by American dominance, and European dependence on U.S. military capabilities, is no longer […]

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Mar 22, 2022

Friedlander included in Wall Street Journal In-Depth Features video on global sanctions against Russia

Watch the full video here.

Crisis Management Economic Sanctions

UkraineAlert

Mar 21, 2022

Fear of provoking Putin is leading the Western world toward disaster

By Ilya Timtchenko

Western policy toward Russia has long been shaped by fear of provoking Vladimir Putin but this caution has only served to encourage further acts of Russian aggression culminating in the current war in Ukraine.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

In the News

Mar 21, 2022

Ashford in War on the Rocks: Russia recognizes breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

On February 21, Ashford featured on the War on the Rocks Warcast, discussing the Russian recognition of the independence of breakaway territories of Eastern Ukraine. “I spoke with Dr. Emma Ashford to discuss the current military situation on Ukraine’s borders, trans-Atlantic diplomacy, and the implications of additional sanctions on the Russian economy. Emma is a […]

Eastern Europe Economic Sanctions

In the News

Mar 19, 2022

Katz in The National: Why Russia Upended the Iran Deal Talks, And Then Backed Down

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Mar 19, 2022

Wieslander speaks about Gotland’s bolstered defences to Belgian VRT

By Anna Wieslander

Europe & Eurasia NATO

New Atlanticist

Mar 18, 2022

A no-fly zone over Ukraine? The case for NATO doing it.

By Richard D. Hooker, Jr.

The West stands at the crossroads. It's time to act by establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

Conflict European Union

New Atlanticist

Mar 18, 2022

A no-fly zone over Ukraine? The case for NATO helping in other ways.

By Sarah Dawn Petrin and Marla Keenan

There’s plenty NATO member states can do to protect civilians on the ground short of shooting down Russian aircraft.

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Mar 18, 2022

Norrlöf in Foreign Affairs on Russia’s economic containment

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business
Load More

Experts

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

Fellow

Chung-Yu Chou

Visiting Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Conflict
Load More