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.

Explore

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

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

Report

Jan 11, 2008

U.S.-Turkey Relations Require New Focus

A series of expert working papers released today by the Atlantic Council call for Turkey and the United States­ ­to give grea­ter priority to working in a trilatera­l f­ormat with Europe on energy sec­urity, co­unter-terrorism, and building regional stability in the broader Middle East.  The United States and Turkey have drifted apart­ since the end […]

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

New Atlanticist

Nov 6, 2007

Bush Should Offer France’s Sarkozy a NATO Deal

By Frederick Kempe

Bush administration officials have been engaged in a quiet debate about how eagerly to seize a chance to improve French-U.S. relations during President Nicolas Sarkozy’s Washington visit, which started yesterday.

NATO NATO Partnerships

Issue Brief

Nov 25, 2006

Launching a New NATO – EU Relationship

By Transatlantic Relations Program

In late November, the leaders of the NATO nations will gather in Riga for “a transformation summit.” Yet, if the agenda develops as currently planned, the Alliance will not even consider a fundamental element of transformation — building a new partnership with the European Union. The failure to establish a strong relationship with the EU […]

European Union International Organizations

Report

Sep 25, 2006

How Should NATO Handle Stabilisation Operations and Reconstruction Efforts?

The challenges of winning the peace, as well as winning the war, have gained increasing attention among NATO members. This development reflects hard-learned lessons from Alliance experiences in the Balkans and Afghanistan. Despite attention at all levels, corresponding changes have yet to be institutionalized within NATO. This resistance to change is, in part, normal bureaucratic […]

International Security Assistance Force NATO

Report

Mar 10, 2006

Transatlantic Transformation: Building a NATO-EU Security Architecture

Since 1989, the security environment facing the United States and its European allies has changed beyond recognition. The Soviet Union has disintegrated, as has the division of Europe between East and West, and new threats have arisen. The disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s demonstrated that instability and war emerging from failing states could affect […]

Europe & Eurasia European Union

Report

Feb 13, 2006

Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic Ambitions

By Steven Pifer

Since his inauguration in January 2005, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has repeatedly stated that his foremost foreign policy goal is his country’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. “Joining Europe” today, be it preparing a country for a bid to enter the European Union or NATO, is an extraordinarily complex business. It will require the […]

European Union International Organizations

Report

Dec 1, 2005

The Future of NATO-Russian Relations: Or, How to Dance with a Bear and Not Get Mauled

By Gordon B. Hendrickson

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, NATO has enlarged its membership twice with countries formerly under Soviet influence and control, and the Alliance is now preparing to begin the process for a third expansion effort. During this time, Russia has watched the borders of NATO creep ever closer to its […]

European Union International Organizations

Report

Dec 1, 2004

The Post 9-11 Partnership: Transatlantic Cooperation against Terrorism

On September 11, 2001, the world was introduced to a new type of terrorism, one that was truly global in its organization and its impact. In both Europe and the United States, it was immediately clear that an effective response would require new levels of cooperation across the Atlantic and around the world. Download the […]

European Union International Organizations

Report

Aug 1, 2003

Transforming the NATO Military Command Structure: A New Framework for Managing the Alliance’s Future

The current NATO command structure is insufficient to manage the individually formidable tasks of changing doctrine; out of area operations; emerging and unpredictable threats and asymmetric strategies; cleaner “supported-supporting” command relationships; integration of joint forces; and making the transition from threat-based to capabilities-based force development simultaneously. Download the PDF

NATO Security & Defense

Report

Jan 1, 2003

Transforming NATO Forces: European Perspectives

By C. Richard Nelson and Jason S. Purcell

The papers in this compendium were prepared for a conference in October 2002 designed to illuminate European perspectives on the growing transatlantic military capabilities gap and on how this gap might be bridged. The conference was organized into four panels: the first focused broadly on capabilities, the second on “Spending More Wisely” initiatives, the third […]

European Union International Organizations
Load More

Experts

Fellow

Jonathan R. Cohen

Nonresident Senior Fellow

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

Greece Iraq

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
Load More