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

What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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
What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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
What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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
What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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
What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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
What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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
What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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
What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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
What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

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

Fast Thinking

Jun 28, 2022

What Turkey won with its NATO leverage

By Atlantic Council

Ankara got exactly what it wanted in exchange for paving the way for Sweden and Finland to join the Alliance.

European Union National Security

UkraineAlert

Jun 28, 2022

Fear of confronting Putin will lead to Russian victory in Ukraine

By Richard D. Hooker, Jr.

So far, the war in Ukraine has taught Vladimir Putin that NATO and the EU will go to great lengths to avoid confronting him. This has grave consequences for Ukraine itself and for the wider international community.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

In the News

Jun 28, 2022

Katz quoted in GZero on whether NATO should address migration from the Moroccan border

By Atlantic Council

Middle East Migration

In the News

Jun 28, 2022

Garlauskas featured in Voice of America on South Korea’s first NATO summit

On June 27, Markus Garlauskas was mentioned in an article, “What to Expect From South Korea’s First NATO Summit,” in Voice of America. In this article, Garlauskas emphasizes the shared security interest in nuclear deterrence between NATO and South Korea. He warns that Russian use of nuclear weapons could serve to embolden North Korea’s usage.  […]

Indo-Pacific Korea

New Atlanticist

Jun 28, 2022

Stoltenberg takes on climate change and Turkey’s blockade of Sweden and Finland as NATO summit opens

By Daniel Malloy

Opening the NATO Public Forum, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg vowed to slash the organization's emissions in response to the climate challenge and said Turkey's terrorism concerns are "legitimate."

Climate Change & Climate Action Defense Policy

In the News

Jun 28, 2022

Grieco in Defense News: NATO summit is chance to wean Europe off US military might

By Atlantic Council

On June 28, Kelly Grieco published an article in Defense News on the NATO summit in Madrid.  She argued Biden should use the summit as a chance to wean European allies off American military might, so Washington can shift its attention and resources to the Indo-Pacific. “NATO member countries ought to resist the temptation turn back the […]

China Conflict

Report

Jun 27, 2022

Entangling alliances? Europe, the United States, Asia, and the risk of a new 1914

By Bruno Tertrais

How has alliance formation and maintenance changed since the Cold War? As Russia invades Ukraine, China threatens Taiwan, Iran harasses Gulf States, and Turkey’s neighbors worry about Ankara’s designs, it is a good time to reassess the validity of alliances for global security.

China Crisis Management

In the News

Jun 27, 2022

Binnendijk and Vershbow in Brookings: Rebalancing European and trans-Atlantic defense

By Hans Binnendijk, Alexander Vershbow

Hans Binnendijk and Alexander Vershbow write that Europe and the US must find a balance between complete European strategic autonomy and hefty reliance on US defense spending.

Conflict Eastern Europe

In the News

Jun 24, 2022

Barranco, Johnson, and Wetzel in Strategic Study India on the War in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

The Scowcroft Center Military Fellows outline the importance of resupply in the War in Ukraine.

Conflict Eastern Europe

UkraineAlert

Jun 24, 2022

Ukraine edges closer to EU dream despite horrors of Putin’s war

By Peter Dickinson

Ukraine has this week secured official EU candidate status as the country seeks to advance its European integration ambitions while also defending itself against an ongoing Russian invasion.

Conflict Democratic Transitions
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Experts

Fellow

Magnus Nordenman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Robert Nurick

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Arms Control Eastern Europe

Fellow

Rich Outzen

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Atlantic Council in Turkey

Arabic Central Asia

Fellow

Jeffrey Reynolds

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Defense Technologies

Fellow

Rachel Rizzo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center Transform Europe Initiative

Economy & Business English

Fellow

Jonathan R. Cohen

Nonresident Senior Fellow

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

Greece Iraq
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