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

Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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
Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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
Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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
Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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
Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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
Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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
Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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
Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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
Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

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

Feb 24, 2022

Connable in Real Clear Defense: Will the Ukrainians Fight?

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Europe & Eurasia
The next National Defense Strategy must get Russia right

Issue Brief

Feb 24, 2022

The next National Defense Strategy must get Russia right

By Clementine G. Starling-Daniels, Christian Trotti, Tyson Wetzel

The rapidly developing 2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis raises a key question for US defense policy makers as they finalize the next National Defense Strategy (NDS): How can the NDS get Russia "right"? This issue brief seeks to answer this question by developing a US defense strategy for deterring and managing the Russian threat in Europe and beyond, building upon the authors' 2021 report, "Seizing the Advantage: A Vision for the Next US National Defense Strategy."

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Feb 24, 2022

Pavel in Market Watch on NATO’s response to the Russia-Ukraine Crisis

By Atlantic Council

Barry Pavel paints a grim strategic landscape for what the United States and NATO are facing beyond the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis.

China Conflict

New Atlanticist

Feb 24, 2022

LIVE: Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Putin’s nuclear threat, and Germany’s big military bet

By Atlantic Council experts

As Russia further escalates its military intervention in Ukraine, check back here for the latest insights, analysis, and reporting from the Atlantic Council's experts as events unfold.

Conflict Eastern Europe

In the News

Feb 24, 2022

Wieslander speaks to Marshall Center on “Sweden and Finland: Responses to the Russian Threat”

By Anna Wieslander

On the occasion of the Alumni in-residence-scholarship of Anna Wieslander, Director Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council, the Marshall Center organized an online seminar to analyze Sweden’s and Finland’s responses to Russia’s threats and aggression. Russia’s military attack on Ukraine on the same day made the seminar particularly relevant and timely.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

New Atlanticist

Feb 23, 2022

Russia Crisis Military Assessment: Is snatching a seaport Putin’s next move?

By Atlantic Council military fellows

The Kremlin could invade Ukraine beyond the separatist line of control in the Donbas with virtually no unambiguous warning, according to our military experts.

Belarus Conflict

In the News

Feb 23, 2022

Slavin quoted in USA Today on Russian sanctions and support for Ukrainian humanitarian efforts

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Economic Sanctions

BelarusAlert

Feb 23, 2022

Belarus joins Putin’s new Russian empire

By Brian Whitmore

Vladimir Putin appears to have succeeded in the unofficial annexation of neighboring Belarus with news that Russian troops deployed ostensibly for military exercises will now remain in the country indefinitely.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Feb 21, 2022

Putin escalates his Ukraine war with recognition of separatist republics

By Peter Dickinson

Eight years since the invasion of Crimea, Putin struck another blow in his war against Ukrainian statehood on February 21 by recognizing the two separatist republics of east Ukraine as independent states.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Feb 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
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Experts

Expert

Gabrielius Landsbergis

Distinguished Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Lithuanian

Fellow

LeAnne Noelani Howard

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Jeppe Kofod

Distinguished Fellow

Global Energy Center

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia

Staff

Alexander Young

Project Assistant

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

Staff

Torrey Taussig

Director

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Eastern Europe Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Andrea Rigoni

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Cybersecurity Digital Policy
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