NATO

NATO

From July 7 to 8, 2026, heads of state and government  gathered at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, where allies sought to capitalize on the success of 2025’s landmark defense spending pledge and begin converting cash into capabilities. Check out our commentary, analysis, and events covering the convening and our latest analysis on NATO, courtesy of our experts.

Ankara Summit Content Series

These articles are part of a series featuring Atlantic Council experts’ analysis and recommendations on the key challenges facing allies at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, and beyond.

How European NATO allies are stepping up, by the numbers

This year’s NATO Summit takes place at a critical time for the Alliance. With no marquee deliverable like last year, NATO leadership will point to progress from European allies on defense spending, defense industrial production, and aid to Ukraine.

Read more

European allies can boost NATO unity at the Ankara summit by accelerating eastern flank deterrence

Ahead of the upcoming summit, European allies should commit to accelerating their deployment of full-strength combat brigades to the Baltic states by 2027.

Read more

NATO allies need a plan for addressing threats below the threshold of war

NATO should take on a more active role in coordinating the response to attacks below the threshold of war. Specifically, the Alliance should use the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara to establish response options for its member states.

Read more

The Ankara summit is an opportunity for NATO to ramp up engagement with its southern neighborhood

NATO’s engagement with its southern neighborhood has been inconsistent, despite growing security challenges. The Ankara summit offers and opportunity to strengthen dialogue with regional partners and reinforce NATO’s southern strategy.

Read more

Innovation ranges: How NATO can test and deploy cutting-edge capabilities faster

The Ankara summit offers allies an opportunity to absorb the lessons from innovation ranges and revitalize the defense innovation pipeline.

Read more

Civilian infrastructure is now a strategic target. NATO must adapt to protect it.

To help build resilience, NATO allies should integrate Nordic, Baltic, and Ukrainian “total defense” practices into NATO planning and exercises.

Read more

Europe should take the long bet on the US and the transatlantic security relationship

At the upcoming Ankara summit, European allies should underscore their increased defense spending and their tangible contributions to shared security.

Read more

How NATO can strengthen the transatlantic defense industrial base in Ankara and beyond

The NATO Summit in Ankara is an opportunity to advance a stronger, more integrated transatlantic defense industrial base.

Read more

Europe’s no-panic playbook for a radically different US foreign policy

NATO and the EU need to make significant, lasting changes in response to Trump 2.0 national security policy–quickly, and ideally in coordination with Washington.

Read more

NATO’s new Arctic presence shows that European allies are stepping up

Heading into the Ankara summit, the Arctic region offers a prime example of where European allies are stepping up and laying the groundwork for deeper cooperation.

Read more

More European NATO allies should step up help to Ukraine through PURL

NATO’s Ankara summit is an opportunity for allies to expand participation in the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), which funds US-made military equipment for Ukraine.

Read more

NATO can emerge from the Ankara summit stronger. Here’s how.

Allies can strengthen the Alliance by continuing to increase defense spending, accelerating joint capability development, and sustaining their support for Ukraine.

Read more

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 and 21st Century Deterrence

Dispatches Jul 9, 2026

Eleven takeaways from the NATO Summit in Ankara 

By Atlantic Council experts

Atlantic Council experts break down the most important developments coming out of the Ankara summit.
Defense Industry Defense Policy
NATO and 21st Century Deterrence

Fast Thinking Jul 8, 2026

Was the NATO Summit a success?

By Atlantic Council

Atlantic Council experts break down an eventful two days in Ankara.
NATO Security & Defense
NATO and 21st Century Deterrence

Dispatches Jul 2, 2026

Civilian infrastructure is now a strategic target. NATO must adapt to protect it.

Allies must preserve the ability to move, reinforce, sustain, communicate, mobilize, and, if necessary, fight under conditions of disruption.
Europe & Eurasia NATO
NATO and 21st Century Deterrence

Dispatches Jul 2, 2026

Europe should take the long bet on the US and the transatlantic security relationship

By Ian Brzezinski, Philippe Dickinson

In Ankara, European leaders must seize the opportunity to reinforce the long-term foundations of the Alliance.
Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia
NATO and 21st Century Deterrence

Dispatches Jun 23, 2026

How European NATO allies are stepping up, by the numbers

By Kristen Taylor, Matt Trunkey

Expect NATO leadership to focus on three main issues: defense spending, defense industrial production, and aid to Ukraine.
Defense Industry Defense Policy
NATO and 21st Century Deterrence

Dispatches Jun 17, 2026

NATO’s southern flank is exposed. Portugal can help fortify it.

By Randi Charno Levine

The Alliance was not designed to focus only on its easter flank. Vulnerabilities to NATO’s south are accumulating faster than strategy is adapting.
Maritime Security NATO

FEATURED EVENTS

Private Event Thu, June 25, 2026 • 1:45 pm ET

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the Ankara Summit Agenda

AN AC FRONT PAGE EVENT—NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte lays out his priorities for the upcoming Ankara summit.

Central Europe Eastern Europe Europe & Eurasia European Union
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 hosts Senators Shaheen and Tillis for a conversation on the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.
Europe & Eurasia NATO Security & Defense
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

TUNE IN

ARCHIVES: THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL ON THE ROAD TO THE NATO SUMMIT

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 Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow

NATOSource

Jan 15, 2016

NATO and 21st Century Deterrence

By Alexander Vershbow, NATO

New and increasingly authoritarian laws have further restricted basic freedoms for Russian civil society. Russia persists with its efforts to undermine Ukraine politically, economically and militarily. Russia has yet to live up to its part of the Minsk agreements, even though there have been a few lulls in the fighting. Russia’s aggressive military build-up continues, […]

NATO Nuclear Nonproliferation
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Oct. 5, 2015

NATOSource

Jan 13, 2016

Jens Stoltenberg: NATO’s Role in Fighting Terrorism

By Jens Stoltenberg, Newsweek

NATO is at the forefront of the fight against international terrorism. The aim of its biggest-ever operation was to deny safe haven to international terrorists in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Iraq
Russia's Yars missile system, April 9, 2014

NATOSource

Jan 12, 2016

Russia to Deploy New Divisions on Western Flank, Form Nuclear Regiments

By Reuters

Russia will create three new military divisions on its Western flank in 2016 and bring five new strategic nuclear missile regiments into service, Sergei Shoigu, the country’s defense minister, was quoted as saying by news agencies on Tuesday.

NATO Russia
Secretary of State John Kerry, Dec. 2, 2015

NATOSource

Jan 11, 2016

10 Most Popular NATO Stories of 2015

By Jorge Benitez, Director of NATOSource

Last year, Russia intervened militarily in the Middle East and increased military provocations in the Baltic Sea Region.

France NATO
British Typhoon intercepts Russian Su-34 jets over Baltic airspace, July 24, 2015

NATOSource

Jan 8, 2016

NATO Jets Scrambled 160 Times to Protect Lithuanian Airspace in 2015

By Lithuania Tribune

Lithuania’s Defence Ministry said that NATO jets patrolling airspace over the Baltic Countries scrambled 160 times to intercept Russian planes in 2015, up 14% on the previous year.

NATO Northern Europe

In the News

Jan 8, 2016

Herbst on NATO’s Russia Rhetoric

By John Herbst

Christian Science Monitor quotes Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center Director John E. Herbst on remarks by NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, US Air Force General Philip Breedlove, that the United States needs to get tough with Russia:

NATO Russia

News

Jan 6, 2016

Sloan: Defense of the West

On January 6, Stan Sloan addressed a standing-room-only audience at the Isley LIbrary in Middlebury Vermont on “Defense of the West” as part of the Vermont Humanities Council “First Wednesdays” program. His talk focused on issues addressed in his forthcoming book, Defense of the West: NATO, the European Union and the Transatlantic Bargain.

NATO Security & Defense
Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, Nov. 16, 2015

NATOSource

Jan 4, 2016

Warsaw May Reach EU Compromise with UK, If It Leads to NATO Force in Poland

By Wiktor Szary and Justyna Pawlak, Reuters

Poland could be open to compromise over British demands to limit the rights of European Union migrants if London helps it bolster the NATO presence in central Europe, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told Reuters.

NATO Poland

In the News

Dec 24, 2015

Gramer: The New Thorn in Russia’s Side

By Robbie Gramer

Transatlantic Security Initiative Associate Director Robbie Gramer writes for Foreign Affairs on Montenegro’s recent joining of NATO and how that may affect NATO’s larger relation to Russia:

NATO Russia

UkraineAlert

Dec 21, 2015

An Alliance Deterred

By Patrick Stephenson

NATO leaders intended the Alliance’s Trident Juncture military exercises, in part, to send a message to Russia that they would not hesitate to defend allied territory. That intention was commendable. But one wonders how exercises in the western Mediterranean will deter Russian ambitions that lie 3,000 km away in Ukraine and on the borders of […]

NATO Russia
Load More

Experts

Staff

Philippe Dickinson

Deputy Director

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Chinese East Asia

Board director

Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky

Vice Chair, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Latin America China

Fellow

Arnold C. Dupuy

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Atlantic Council Turkey Program

Turkey Energy & Environment

Fellow

David F. Helvey

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Cori Fleser

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Americas Defense Policy

Staff

Denise Forsthuber

Director, Strategic Engagement and Operations

Europe Center Transform Europe Initiative

Central Europe Eastern Europe
Load More