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

Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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
Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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
Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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
Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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
Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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
Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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
Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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
Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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
Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

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

Dec 16, 2021

Is the EU about to build its own military capacity? Thanks to Germany, the jury’s still out.

By Francis Shin

Supporters of increased European military integration have taken the new coalition’s interest in an assertive foreign policy as a sign that EU military capacity may one day be feasible. But they should temper their hopes.

Defense Policy European Union

In the News

Dec 12, 2021

Azodi joins BBC Persian to discuss the implication of Russia’s amassing of troops on the Ukrainian border

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Dec 8, 2021

Kramer in The Hill discussing US military support for Ukraine

By Franklin D. Kramer

On December 8, Atlantic Council Board Director and Distinguished Fellow Franklin D. Kramer authored an article for The Hill arguing that the United States and its NATO allies should provide military support to Ukraine in the event of a full-scale Russian invasion.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

UkraineAlert

Dec 8, 2021

Biden and Putin hold virtual Ukraine summit amid Russian invasion fears

By Peter Dickinson

US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke via video link on December 7 to address growing concerns over a major Russian military build-up along the country’s border with Ukraine.

Conflict NATO

BelarusAlert

Dec 8, 2021

Belarus, Ukraine, and Vladimir Putin’s expanding imperial agenda

By Brian Whitmore

It would be a mistake to view the 16-month-old political crisis in Belarus and Russia's brinkmanship on the Ukrainian border as separate affairs. They are both part and parcel of Putin's post-Soviet imperial agenda.

Belarus Conflict

In the News

Dec 7, 2021

Binnendijk and Pavel in Defense News: How might allies respond if Russia invades Ukraine?

By Hans Binnendijk, Barry Pavel

NATO needs to plan beyond efforts to deter another Russian invasion of Ukraine and recognize that its actual response may differ depending on the extent of Russian military operations.

English Europe & Eurasia

Britain Debrief

Dec 3, 2021

#BritainDebrief – Britain and war in Ukraine? A debrief from Maryna Vorotnyuk

By Ben Judah

RUSI associate fellow Maryna Vorotnyuk joins #BritainDebrief to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Britain's role in any conflict in the East.

Conflict Crisis Management

Press Release

Dec 1, 2021

Atlantic Council announces multi-year partnership on Black Sea security with the Romanian National University of Political Studies and Public Administration

The Atlantic Council will partner with the Romanian National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) on a major four-year body of work focused on the Black Sea region, which will familiarize the policy community with the complexities of this strategically important area for NATO and advance recommendations for transatlantic strategists.

Eastern Europe English

BelarusAlert

Dec 1, 2021

Putin’s little helper: Belarus dictator opens second front against Ukraine

By Brian Whitmore

Belarus dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka has declared his readiness to join Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine as Russian and Belarusian forces prepare to conduct joint military exercises along the Ukrainian border.

Belarus Conflict

UkraineAlert

Nov 23, 2021

Vladimir Putin is testing the “weak” West in Ukraine and Poland

By Taras Kuzio

Russia's current military build-up on the Ukrainian border is part of Vladimir Putin's hybrid war against the democratic world and an attempt to exploit what many in the Kremlin perceive to be Western "weakness."

Belarus Conflict
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Experts

Fellow

Richard D. Hooker, Jr.

Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia National Security

Fellow

Beniamino Irdi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Disinformation English

Fellow

Marta Kepe

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Industry English

Fellow

Timo S. Koster

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Cybersecurity Dutch

Fellow

Erwan Lagadec

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

English Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Natasha Lander Finch

Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Arms Control Europe & Eurasia
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