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

Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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
Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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
Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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
Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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
Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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
Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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
Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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
Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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
Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

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

UkraineAlert

Aug 4, 2022

Ukraine grain deal: World must still confront Putin’s Black Sea blackmail

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

The recent UN-brokered agreement to end Russia's Black Sea blockade and renew Ukrainian grain shipments is a step in the right direction but the only way to truly safeguard global food security is via military measures.

Conflict Drones

Fast Thinking

Aug 3, 2022

The Senate emphatically backs NATO expansion. What’s next?

By Atlantic Council

What political hurdles remain, and what will Sweden and Finland be up to in the meantime? Our experts break it all down.

NATO Northern Europe

New Atlanticist

Aug 1, 2022

An urgent message to our fellow senators: Support Finland and Sweden’s swift accession into NATO

By Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis

Our Senate colleagues should stand resolute in support of the Alliance, our rules-based order, and liberal democracies worldwide.

Defense Policy European Union

New Atlanticist

Jul 28, 2022

Climbing the escalation ladder in Ukraine: A menu of options for the West

By Francis Shin, Damir Marusic, Tyson Wetzel

Our experts have assembled a list of possible policy responses the West ought to consider if Russia escalates its war against Ukraine.

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Jul 26, 2022

Reynolds in Defence Studies: NATO’s position and role in the Indo-Pacific

By Jeffrey Reynolds

Jeffrey Reynolds coauthored an article in Defence Studies discussing the implications NATO's role in the Indo-Pacific

China Conflict

In the News

Jul 26, 2022

Michel quoted in Helsingin Sanomat: Why is Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership progressing exceptionally fast in the US

TSI Nonresident Senior Fellow Leo Michel was quoted in the Finnish outlet Helsingin Sanomat discussing why Finland and Sweden's NATO membership is progressing exceptionally fast in the US.

NATO Northern Europe

New Atlanticist

Jul 22, 2022

Now for the hard part: A guide to implementing NATO’s new Strategic Concept

By Hans Binnendijk, Timo S. Koster

NATO should be proud of its recent accomplishments—but now it needs to follow through.

Conflict Crisis Management

AC Selects

Jul 15, 2022

AC Selects: Dutch Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren on Ukraine

Event from the week of July 15, 2022 Last week, the Transatlantic Security Initiative hosted Dutch Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren for an AC FrontPage event to discuss how European allies like the Netherlands are adjusting their defense policy to better deter Russia and defend NATO territory. Related events (On Vladimir Putin) He fears liberty, […]

Conflict NATO

New Atlanticist

Jul 15, 2022

Europe ‘must get its act together’ on defense, says Dutch defense minister

By Katherine Golden

Ollongren spoke about supporting Ukraine and shoring up European defense with allies at an Atlantic Council Front Page event.

Defense Policy Defense Technologies
A view of a damaged building and a car at the site of a Russian military strike in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, July 14, 2022. (Source: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)

New Atlanticist

Jul 15, 2022

Russian War Report: Russian missiles strike Vinnytsia

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Ukrainian town on Vinnytsia, Russia's public death toll grows, and Iran's coverage of the war.

Conflict Disinformation
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Experts

Fellow

Gabriele Natalizia

Visiting Fellow

Europe Center

Europe & Eurasia Italian

Fellow

Gorana Grgić

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Croatian Democratic Transitions

Staff

Ginger Matchett

Program Assistant

Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative GeoStrategy Initiative

Africa Climate Change & Climate Action

Fellow

Anca Agachi

Nonresident Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Africa Conflict

Staff

Nika Aleksejeva

Resident Fellow, Baltics

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarus Disinformation

Millennium fellow

Kirk Allen

Digital Communications Lead, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Millennium Leadership Program

Middle East NATO Partnerships
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