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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger 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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger 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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger 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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger Challenge

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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger Challenge

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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger Challenge

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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger Challenge

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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger Challenge

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

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger Challenge

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 • 4:00 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

Aug 30, 2017

European Bureaucracy, Not Russia’s Military Exercises, Seen as a Bigger Challenge

By Teri Schultz

Top US military commander in Europe, Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, calls for a ‘military Schengen zone’ As Zapad 2017 looms, the top US military commander worries more about Europe’s sluggish bureaucracy than Russia’s snap military exercises. One word is dominating transatlantic security and defense discussions heading into September: Zapad. The word, which means “west” […]

NATO
Russia

New Atlanticist

Aug 21, 2017

NATO’s Cyber Domain Concept Shows Increased Maturity in Understanding of Cyber Threats

By Klara Jordan

Recently, there have been a number of articles that explore the important and ongoing debate about the capabilities and policies NATO needs in order to deter and defend against the ever-looming cyber threats.  While many such articles accurately highlight the urgent need for NATO and its member states to develop a more proactive approach to […]

NATO
Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Aug 8, 2017

NATO Needs an Offensive Cybersecurity Policy

By Barbara Roggeveen

Modern-day warfare is as much about cyberattacks and the protection of communication and information systems as it is about kinetic military action. In 2016, NATO’s institutional networks experienced on average 500 cyberattacks a month—an increase of roughly 60 percent from the year before. Other recent, high-profile, transnational cyberattacks, such as the WannaCry ransomware attack and […]

Cybersecurity
NATO

Issue Brief

Jul 31, 2017

Left of launch: Countering theater ballistic missiles

By Herbert C. Kemp

NATO currently finds itself in an increasingly competitive international environment, with potential adversaries who field, among other things, progressively capable ballistic and cruise missile capabilities. This is particularly the case with Russia, which has proven itself capable of fielding conventional long- range strike capabilities that can reach far into NATO territory.

Missile Defense
NATO

Issue Brief

Jul 31, 2017

Left of launch: Countering theater ballistic missiles

By Herbert C. Kemp

NATO currently finds itself in an increasingly competitive international environment, with potential adversaries who field, among other things, progressively capable ballistic and cruise missile capabilities. This is particularly the case with Russia, which has proven itself capable of fielding conventional long- range strike capabilities that can reach far into NATO territory.

Missile Defense
NATO

In the News

Jul 23, 2017

Braw in The National Interest – Mini-Battlegroups: How NATO Can Take On the Threats of the Future

By Elisabeth Braw

Read the full article here.

NATO
Security & Defense

In the News

Jul 17, 2017

Ullman in UPI – The United States, NATO and Russia: War Games Two Can Play

By Harlan Ullman

Read the full article here.

NATO
Security & Defense

Defense Industrialist

Jul 10, 2017

You can’t call the cavalry on two percent

By James Hasik

In a two-percent world, American plans against landward threats to Poland might be limited to aircraft, cruise missiles, and marines. For if the US government proportionately spent what European governments spent, there would be no cavalry riding to the rescue.

China
Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2017

Trump States US Commitment to Europe, Article 5

US President Donald J. Trump’s speech in Poland ahead of the G20 summit on July 7 reassured allies and emphasized the importance of the transatlantic relationship, noting that a strong Europe is beneficial for the United States and the whole of the West. “When your nations are strong, all the free nations of Europe are […]

NATO
Poland

New Atlanticist

Jul 6, 2017

NATO Enhances its Eastern Front

By Teri Schultz

The Baltic States and Poland have long wanted an enduring NATO presence on their territories. Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014 convinced their allies they need it.  With plans approved at the Warsaw Summit in 2016, now the four countries each have a battle group of approximately 1,000 troops stationed on their territory. […]

NATO
Security & Defense
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Experts

Fellow

David F. Helvey

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Douglas D. Jones

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Conflict English

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

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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