TRACKING NATO SPENDING

Trackers and Data Visualizations

Jun 20, 2025

NATO Defense Spending Tracker

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

Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

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
Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

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
Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

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
Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

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
Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

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
Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

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
Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

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
Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

Issue Brief Jun 2, 2025

For NATO in 2027, European leadership will be key to deterrence against Russia

By Scott Lee, Andrew Michta, Peter Jones, and Lisa Bembenick

NATO lacks the operational integration, logistics, and joint force capabilities needed to quickly counter Russian mass and tempo near its borders. With the United States increasingly focused elsewhere, how can the Alliance retain military superiority in 2027 without overreliance on US military might?
Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia
Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

Issue Brief Mar 31, 2025

Why NATO’s Defence Planning Process will transform the Alliance for decades to come

By Angus Lapsley and Pierre Vandier

NATO’s successes over the last seventy-six years are the result of constant adaptation, and the Alliance is now going through its most profound changes since the end of the Cold War.
Europe & Eurasia International Organizations

FEATURED EVENTS

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

In the News

Oct 4, 2022

Scheunemann in Teles Relay: Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (in French)

On October 4, Leah Scheunemann was quoted in Teles Relay discussing Ukraine’s application and prospects for NATO membership (text in French).

Europe & Eurasia France

UkraineAlert

Oct 3, 2022

Is Russia preparing to target vital Norwegian energy exports to Europe?

By Thomas S. Warrick

Recent drone activity close to Norwegian energy infrastructure has sparked calls for urgent security measures to prevent potential Russian sabotage of vital oil and gas exports to Europe in the coming months.

Conflict Energy & Environment

In the News

Oct 3, 2022

Zysk in the Barents Observer: Russia’s deployment of nuclear bombers to the Kola Peninsula

On October 3, TSI NRSF Katarzyna Zysk was quoted in the Barents Observer discussing the implications of Russia’s deployment of seven strategic nuclear bombers to the Kola Peninsula near Russia’s border with Norway and Finland.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2022

Canadian foreign minister: After Putin’s annexation ‘our strategy won’t change’ on Ukraine

By Daniel Malloy

At an Atlantic Council Front Page event, the foreign minister reassured Ukrainians that Canada will never recognize the sham referendums in four of Ukraine's regions—and that Canada will continue to support Ukraine.

Conflict NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2022

Zelenskyy is pushing for fast-track NATO membership. Does Ukraine have a fighting chance to join the club?

By Atlantic Council experts

Experts from our Transatlantic Security Initiative break down NATO's response to the Ukrainian president's surprise move.

Conflict NATO
Ceremony to declare Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian territories held in Moscow

New Atlanticist

Sep 30, 2022

Russian War Report: Putin illegally annexes Ukrainian territory

On September 30, Russian President Putin officially annexed four Ukrainian oblasts, incorporating them into Russia. The announcement was met with swift global condemnation.

Conflict Disinformation

In the News

Sep 30, 2022

Wieslander speaks at Helsinki Security Forum

Anna Wieslander spoke on the opening panel at the first-ever Helsinki Security Forum. She spoke on lessons learned since the full-scale war in Ukraine began. First was that “Ukraine is part of Europe” and needs to be a part of the European community. There needed to be further rounds of EU enlargement to other contested […]

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

New Atlanticist

Sep 27, 2022

What’s Congress’ role in holding Putin accountable? US senators discuss their next moves.

By Katherine Golden

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis called upon allies to boost their support for Ukraine not only for the country’s sovereignty but also for the region’s stability and for the sake of the international order. 

Conflict NATO

UkraineAlert

Sep 21, 2022

Putin’s nuclear ultimatum is a desperate bid to freeze a losing war

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine is a sign of the Russian dictator's mounting desperation as his invasion continues to unravel and his country's geopolitical isolation deepens.

Central Asia Conflict

New Atlanticist

Sep 19, 2022

The 2022 Global Citizen Awards: Honoring the bridge-builders and peacemakers in a time of war

By Katherine Golden, Daniel Malloy

The Atlantic Council's annual gala honored three world leaders, an Academy Award-winning artist, Google's CEO, and the strength of the transatlantic relationship.

Conflict Indo-Pacific
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Experts

Fellow

Joanna Siekiera

Nonresident Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Rule of Law Polish

Advisory Council member

Clifford Sobel

Former United States Ambassador to Brazil

Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Brazil Economy & Business

Fellow

Jason C. Moyer

Nonresident Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia NATO

Fellow

Lisa C. Sawyer

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Economy & Business

Expert

Gabrielius Landsbergis

Distinguished Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Lithuanian

Fellow

LeAnne Noelani Howard

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia
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