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

Getmanchuk in the New York Times: A NATO invitation will make or break Ukraine

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
Getmanchuk in the New York Times: A NATO invitation will make or break Ukraine

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
Getmanchuk in the New York Times: A NATO invitation will make or break Ukraine

Dispatches Jan 21, 2026

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

Transatlantic allies must focus on accelerating defense innovation while strengthening their defense industrial bases.
Defense Industry Defense Policy
Getmanchuk in the New York Times: A NATO invitation will make or break Ukraine

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
Getmanchuk in the New York Times: A NATO invitation will make or break Ukraine

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
Getmanchuk in the New York Times: A NATO invitation will make or break Ukraine

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 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
Public Event Thu, December 4, 2025 • 2:00 pm ET

General Aurelio Colagrande on preparing NATO for the challenges of tomorrow

The deputy supreme allied commander transformation talks about shaping the Alliance’s future through foresight and innovation.
Defense Policy National Security NATO 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

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

In the News

Jul 9, 2023

Getmanchuk in the New York Times: A NATO invitation will make or break Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Central Europe Eastern Europe

In the News

Jul 9, 2023

Yevgeniya Gaber joins TVP World to discuss Zelenskyy’s visit to Turkey and why Ukraine expected invitation to join NATO at the Vilnius Summit
Europe & Eurasia NATO

Inflection Points

Jul 9, 2023

Dispatch from Vilnius: Will Zelenskyy show at the summit? It depends on whether Biden listens to frontline NATO allies.

By Frederick Kempe

Central European officials say the US has held up a fast track to NATO membership for Ukraine. That would be a mistake.

Conflict Eastern Europe

TURKEYSource

Jul 8, 2023

A looming US-Turkey F-16 deal is about much more than Sweden’s NATO bid

By Rich Outzen, Pınar Dost

The long-awaited fighter jet deal is a puzzle piece in a broader strategic calculation about Ankara’s role in NATO’s Southeast.

Conflict Defense Industry

In the News

Jul 8, 2023

Wieslander quoted in Dagens Nyheter

“‘Another important reason for NATO to include Sweden is political’, as Anna Wieslander points out.” “‘Sweden is a solid old democracy, we have a strong economy and we are members of the EU. Politically, we are a reliable country because NATO is based on democratic values with respect for the rule of law and individual […]

NATO Northern Europe

In the News

Jul 7, 2023

Jeglinskas featured in delfi.lt on potential cyber ​​threats and NATO

By Giedrimas Jeglinskas

On July 7, Transatlantic Security Initiative nonresident senior fellow Giedrimas Jeglinskas was interviewed in delfi.lt on cyber ​​threats and NATO (text in Lithuanian). 

Cybersecurity Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2023

Will eleventh-hour diplomacy get Sweden into NATO by the Vilnius summit?

By Anna Wieslander and Eric Adamson

At stake in Vilnius is not only the security of Sweden and the Alliance as a whole, but NATO’s open-door credibility.

Europe & Eurasia National Security

New Atlanticist

Jul 7, 2023

The view from Vilnius: NATO needs speed and scale to ensure deterrence 

By Giedrimas Jeglinskas

The real test of the July 11-12 NATO Summit will be whether leaders take the opportunity to increase the Alliance's deterrence.

Conflict Eastern Europe

In the News

Jul 7, 2023

Wieslander interviewed by BBC on Sweden’s NATO prospects
NATO Northern Europe

In the News

Jul 6, 2023

Agachi in VOA News on NATO allies actions in Vilnius regarding China

On July 6, the Transatlantic Security Initiative’s associate director Anca Agachi was quoted in a VOA news article discussing the actions NATO allies are seeking in Vilnius regarding China.

Europe & Eurasia NATO
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Experts

Fellow

Elisabeth Braw

Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Resilience & Society

Fellow

Henrik Breitenbauch

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Danish Defense Industry

Fellow

Ian Brzezinski

Senior Fellow

Europe Center Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Central Europe Defense Policy

Fellow

Justina Budginaite-Froehly

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Industry European Union

Fellow

David M. Cattler

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Industry English

Fellow

Chung-Yu Chou

Former Visiting Military Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Conflict
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Events

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

Belgium’s defense minister on the future of transatlantic security relations
Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia NATO Politics & Diplomacy