NATO

From June 24 to 25, heads of state and government gathered at the NATO Summit in The Hague, where they agreed on a new commitment to spend 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense by 2035. 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

FEATURED EVENTS

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.

Content

NATOSource

Mar 1, 2012

Did Panetta disclose internal talking points instead of planned public statements?

By Josh Rogin, the Cable

From Josh Rogin, the Cable:  One announcement that won’t be made at the NATO summit is the alliance’s intention to mark 2013 as the year when full, lead combat responsibility will be handed over from NATO to the Afghan security forces.

NATO Security & Defense

Event Recap

Feb 28, 2012

2012 Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Seminar

By Jason Harmala

On February 28 the Atlantic Council served as a key think tank partner for the 2012 Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Seminar in Washington, DC, which drew together the leadership of NATO, including Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, SACT General Stephane Abrial, along with the members of the Alliance’s North Atlantic Council and NATO’s Military Committee.

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 28, 2012

Afghan War Fundamentals

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

The United States and its NATO allies are having have trouble coming to grips with the fundamentals of the decade-long Afghan war.

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Feb 27, 2012

On to Chicago: Enter the European Union

By Sven Biscop

At the NATO Summit in Chicago a first assessment of the Alliance’s Smart Defense initiative is expected. As the European Union is invited, the first results of its Pooling & Sharing Initiative will be discussed as well. On the NATO side in particular there is a search for “flagship projects” substantial enough to present to […]

European Union International Organizations

Transcript

Feb 27, 2012

Transcript: Transforming Toward a Smarter Alliance – NATO’s Role in Cyber Security

By Jason Harmala

Full transcript of the February 27, 2012 event “Transforming Toward a Smarter Alliance: NATO’s Role in Cyber Security.”

Cybersecurity NATO

Issue Brief

Feb 27, 2012

NATO’s Cyber Capabilities: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

By Jason Healey and Leendert van Bochoven

Jason Healey, director of the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative, and Leendert van Bochoven, NATO and European Defense leader at IBM, argue that NATO must “double down” on a core set of priorities following the recent cyber defense policy, leveraging the best capabilities, policies, and practices from member nations and industry partners. Download the PDF

Cybersecurity NATO

Event Recap

Feb 27, 2012

Transforming Toward a Smarter Alliance: NATO’s Role in Cyber Security

By Adrienne Chuck

On February 27, the Atlantic Council hosted a panel discussion on NATO’s evolving role in cyber defense and security. The panel discussed key cyber challenges confronting the transatlantic Alliance.

Cybersecurity NATO

Event Recap

Feb 24, 2012

Uncertain Horizons: NATO’s Balancing Act in the Months Ahead

By Jason Harmala

On February 24th, 2012, the Atlantic Council hosted an off-the-record roundtable discussion with Ambassador Dirk Brengelmann, NATO assistant secretary for Political Affairs and Security Policy, who discussed strategic priorities for NATO on the eve of the North Atlantic Council’s visit to Washington, DC next week and in the lead-up to the Alliance’s Chicago Summit in […]

NATO Security & Defense

NATOSource

Feb 23, 2012

Peter MacKay urges closer U.S.-Canada military ties and NATO reform

By the Canadian Press

From the Canadian Press:  The defence minister says there’s a greater need for stronger partnership between Canada and the U.S. in uncertain economic and political times. But at the same time, NATO’s global partnership is in need of reform to function effectively in a complex security situation, Peter MacKay said in a set of speeches […]

NATO Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Feb 23, 2012

Afghan Outrage: Burned Books, Mayhem, and Mass Murder

By James Joyner

At least nine people have been killed and dozens wounded so far in a series of riots across Afghanistan reacting to news that some Islamic religious materials were burned along with the trash by American troops. President Obama this morning added his “deep regret” and “sincere apologies” to a long list by other US and […]

Afghanistan NATO

Experts