NATO

NATO

From July 7 to 8, heads of state and government will gather at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, where allies will seek to capitalize on the success of last year’s landmark defense spending pledge and begin converting cash into capabilities. Check out our commentary, analysis, and events covering the convening, courtesy of our experts.

TRACKING NATO SPENDING

Trackers and Data Visualizations

Jun 20, 2025

NATO defense spending tracker

By Kristen Taylor, Julia Salabert

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

NATO’s China challenge

Dispatches Apr 20, 2026

Five ideas to make the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara a success

By Atlantic Council experts

While the upcoming summit is unlikely to produce anything as singularly significant as 2025’s “5 percent” pledge, there are important steps the Alliance should take.
Europe & Eurasia NATO
NATO’s China challenge

Dispatches Apr 10, 2026

Dispatch from Vilnius: Warfare is evolving rapidly. Here’s how NATO can keep up.

By David Julazadeh, Julia Salabert

The most important change is that the cost barrier to generating strategic effects has dropped dramatically.
Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia
NATO’s China challenge

Dispatches Jan 21, 2026

To adapt to today’s security threats, NATO should prioritize the basics of defense innovation

By Julia Salabert, Kristen Taylor

Transatlantic allies must focus on accelerating defense innovation while strengthening their defense industrial bases.
Defense Industry Defense Policy
NATO’s China challenge

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
NATO’s China challenge

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
NATO’s China challenge

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

FEATURED EVENTS

Public Event Tue, April 28, 2026 • 10:15 am ET

Belgium’s defense minister on the future of transatlantic security relations

Minister of Defense of Belgium Theo Francken shares his views on transatlantic security developments and Belgium’s role in Europe’s growing defense industry.
Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia NATO Politics & Diplomacy
Public Event Fri, April 17, 2026 • 11:45 am ET

The British ambassador to the US on Euro-Atlantic security and the Middle East

British Ambassador to the United States Sir Christian Turner joins the Atlantic Council to discuss the UK’s ongoing diplomatic efforts in the Middle East and its vision for the future of Euro-Atlantic security cooperation.
Europe & Eurasia Iran Middle East NATO
Online Event Tue, April 7, 2026 • 10:00 am ET

US-Turkish defense relations and the upcoming NATO Summit

A discussion on the new era for the bilateral US-Turkish defense relationship and the significance of the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara.
Defense Industry Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia Geopolitics & Energy Security

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

Within the Atlantic Council’s longstanding commitment to strengthening the transatlantic relationship, the Atlantic Council Turkey Program conducts research, provides thought leadership, and offers a platform for strategic dialogue between the US, Turkey, and NATO allies to address the region’s toughest challenges and explore opportunities, including in the fields of energy, business & trade, technology, defense, and security.

Learn more

Content

NATO leaders pose for a group photo

Inflection Points

Dec 7, 2019

NATO’s China challenge

By Frederick Kempe

China has emerged as the most formidable challenge that has ever faced NATO.

China National Security

Press and members call

Dec 4, 2019

Atlantic Council press call: Unpacking the NATO Leaders’ Meeting

By Atlantic Council

On Wednesday, December 4, transatlantic leaders gather in London for the NATO Leaders' Meeting. Marking the 70th anniversary of the military alliance, the meeting is an opportunity to take stock of NATO’s progress over the last three major summits and discuss how to transform the Alliance for the future. The summit will come at a tense time for the Alliance, with allies divided over issues such as trade, burden-sharing, Syria, and Iran, while the meeting's host country will be only a few days away from a general election. Following the summit and rounding off NATO's historic 70th anniversary year, Amb. Alexander Vershbow, Chris Skaluba, and Andrew Marshall, discuss key takeaways from the Leaders Meeting and priorities for the NATO alliance moving forward.

NATO Security & Defense

In the News

Dec 4, 2019

Ullman in UPI: NATO must recognize Russia as political, economic threat

By Harlan Ullman

Arms Control Crisis Management

New Atlanticist

Dec 4, 2019

NATO leaders disperse the storm clouds in London

By David A. Wemer

Despite a litany of high-profile disagreements between allies over the last few weeks, the NATO Leaders’ Meeting in London on December 4 “ended on a very positive note,” with a “pretty substantial declaration and agenda for the future,” according to Alexander Vershbow. The meeting, Vershbow observed, “went in like a lion and out like a lamb.”

NATO

In the News

Dec 4, 2019

Bryza joins TRT World to discuss the NATO Summit

By Atlantic Council

Europe & Eurasia NATO

New Atlanticist

Dec 3, 2019

Don’t be fooled: Russia is still NATO’s greatest challenge

By David A. Wemer

“Russia has shown with its actions that it is a serious security threat,” Estonian defense minister Jüri Luik said during a panel discussion on Baltic and Black sea security during the NATO engages event in London on December 3. “For Lithuania, [Russia] is the only external existential threat we have,” added Lithuanian defense minister Raimundas Karoblis.

NATO Northern Europe

New Atlanticist

Dec 3, 2019

Norwegian PM explains how NATO can help combat climate change

By Om Arvind

Solberg admitted that she doesn’t think “we will solve this by our defense part of NATO,” but stressed that NATO leaders can help spur greater action. “What we really have to do,” she said, “is [to] stop climate change [and] make sure that we invest now instead of having to invest a lot in the future to work on the damages. It is much less costly to prevent climate change than it will be to adapt to it – on all levels of our society.”

Climate Change & Climate Action NATO

New Atlanticist

Dec 3, 2019

Trudeau and Rutte say NATO’s future is “bright,” not “brain-dead”

By John Burton

Trudeau said that “NATO has survived for seventy years because we’ve always had frank, real conversations. There have been disagreements that we’ve worked through. There have been differences and prospective differences in priorities that have ended up with a more resilient, more flexible, more agile organization that has adapted to the times we’ve had.”

NATO United States and Canada

Transcripts

Dec 3, 2019

NATO Engages transcript: In conversation with the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Canada

By Atlantic Council

H.E Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada and H.E. Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands speak to Amb. Rasitslav Káčer, Globesec chairman at NATO Engages 2019.

NATO United States and Canada

Transcripts

Dec 3, 2019

NATO Engages transcript: Heating up: The impact of climate security on the Alliance

By Atlantic Council

H.E. Erna Solberg, prime minister of Norway speaks to Ambassador Boris Ruge, vice chairman of the Munich Security Conference at NATO Engages 2019.

Climate Change & Climate Action NATO
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Experts

Fellow

R. Clarke Cooper

Distinguished fellow, Middle East Programs

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Africa Defense Policy

Fellow

Ann-Sofie Dahl

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Danish Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Ann Marie Dailey

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Jason Davidson

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia European Union

Fellow

John R. Deni

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Samuel Denney

Nonresident Fellow

Transatlantic Security Initiative

English Europe & Eurasia
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Events

Public Event Wed, June 17, 2026 • 3:30 pm ET

Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis on the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara

AN AC FRONT PAGE EVENT—The Atlantic Council is hosting Senators Shaheen and Tillis for a conversation on the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.
Europe & Eurasia NATO Security & Defense