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

The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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
The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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
The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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
The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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
The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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
The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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
The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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
The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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
The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

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

Inflection Points

Mar 13, 2022

The Western response to Putin’s war has been remarkable. But it’s not enough.

By Frederick Kempe

Vladimir Putin will continue to escalate if more isn't done to stop him.

Conflict Crisis Management

Britain Debrief

Mar 12, 2022

#BritainDebrief – Can Decarbonization Disarm Putin’s War Machine? A Debrief from Laurie Laybourn

By Ben Judah

As European countries have reluctantly started to announce programs to be less reliant on Russian oil and gas, Senior Fellow Ben Judah interviews Laurie Laybourn, Visiting Fellow at the Chatham House Sustainability Accelerator for #BritainDebrief.

Climate Change & Climate Action Conflict

In the News

Mar 11, 2022

Lipner quoted in Zing News on Israel and Turkey’s evolving relations with Russia

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Defense Policy

In the News

Mar 11, 2022

Zais joins Al Hurra to discuss the impacts of the Russian invasion on Ukraine on global oil prices and alternatives to Russian oil

By Atlantic Council

Arabic Conflict

In the News

Mar 10, 2022

Wieslander and Skaluba’s Column mentioned on Fox News

By Anna Wieslander, Christopher Skaluba

President Niinistö was asked on Fox News to respond to a column by Wieslander and Skaluba.

Conflict Eastern Europe

Event Recap

Mar 10, 2022

UK foreign minister: Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is a ‘paradigm shift on the scale of 9/11’

By the Atlantic Council

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned that Putin has shaken the global security architecture by invading Ukraine and declared the "era of complacency" over.

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Mar 10, 2022

Wetzel in Vox, iNews, the BBC, and yahoo!news, on no-fly zones and Z symbolism in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Tyson Wetzel discusses why a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be ineffective, explains the significance of the Russian pro-war Z symbol.

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Mar 10, 2022

Daoud in the Haaretz: Opinion | Why Iran and Hezbollah Are Quietly Applauding Putin’s War on Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Mar 10, 2022

Deni in Politico: Yes, Russia Might Invade a NATO Country. Here’s How the Alliance Should Prepare.

By John R. Deni

Deni writes in Politico about the risk of Russia attacking a NATO member, and how the alliance can prepare for this risk.

Conflict Eastern Europe

In the News

Mar 10, 2022

Deni in Foreign Policy: NATO Must Prepare to Defend Its Weakest Point—the Suwalki Corridor

By John R. Deni

Deni writes in Foreign Policy on the need for NATO to prepare to defend the Suwalki Corridor.

Conflict Eastern Europe
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Experts

Staff

James Batchik

Associate Director

Europe Center

Central Europe Digital Policy

Expert

Olivier-Rémy Bel

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Andrew Bernard

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

NATO Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Hans Binnendijk

Distinguished Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Sara Bjerg Moller

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Danish Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Elisabeth Braw

Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Resilience & Society
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