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

#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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
#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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
#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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
#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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
#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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
#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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
#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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
#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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
#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

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

Britain Debrief

Jun 8, 2022

#BritainDebrief – What future for Finland in NATO? A Debrief with Chair Satu Hassi

By Ben Judah

Senior Fellow Ben Judah interviews Satu Hassi, Chair of the Grand Committee in the Finnish Parliament, to discuss Finland's new security position.

Conflict Defense Policy
Belarusian soldiers from the Unit 103rd Vitebsk Guard Aircraft Brigade conduct joint combat exercises with police units in the Gomel region of Belarus, Feb 16, 2022. (Source: Eyepress via Reuters Connect)

New Atlanticist

Jun 3, 2022

Russian War Report: Signs of renewed Belarusian troop movements towards Ukrainian border

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Belarusian troops seem to be on the move again toward their border with Ukraine while the Kremlin spreads claims of killed NATO officers and blames the West for global food shortages.

Belarus Disinformation

In the News

Jun 2, 2022

Ashford quoted in MSNBC: Biden doesn’t address how far US support for Ukraine goes

By Atlantic Council

On June 2, Ashford was quoted in MSNBC regarding President Biden’s op-ed about US support for Ukraine. She noted that Biden’s op-ed did not address how far the United States will support Ukraine in its quest to recover lost territory. “Does US support extend to fighting Russia to a stalemate? Does it extend to rolling them […]

Conflict Defense Policy

In the News

Jun 1, 2022

Experts agree: Stay the course in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

NATO Security & Defense

In the News

May 30, 2022

Ashford in Bloomberg: NATO should think twice before accepting Finland and Sweden

By Atlantic Council

On May 30, Emma Ashford published an article in Bloomberg calling attention to important considerations that should be taken into account with respect to Sweden and Finland’s potential accession to NATO. “There are only two clear-cut benefits to bringing in the two Nordic nations. The first is symbolic: providing a clear demonstration of European and […]

Defense Policy English

In the News

May 29, 2022

Stefanini quoted in Financial Times: Europeans wish they knew what was America’s end game plan in Ukraine

By Stefano Stefanini

Stefanini quoted in Financial Times about European confusion regarding America's end plan in Ukraine.

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

In the News

May 27, 2022

Preble on Net Assessment: Debating Sweden and Finland’s entry into NATO

By Atlantic Council

On May 27, Christopher Preble and co-hosts considered Finland and Sweden’s applications to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the Net Assessment podcast. Is a larger NATO necessarily a more effective alliance? And what are the practical implications of defending these two countries from an apparently revanchist Russia? What does this mean for the […]

Americas Defense Policy
A camouflaged Russian tank outside the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine, March 16, 2022. (Source: Reuters/Energoatom)

New Atlanticist

May 27, 2022

Russian War Report: Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels claim Ukraine is building a “dirty bomb”

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels misrepresented comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to claim Ukraine was producing a “dirty bomb.”

Disinformation NATO

In the News

May 25, 2022

Kroenig in the Chicago Tribune on the war in Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Matt Kroenig discusses the various options to end the war in Ukraine.

Conflict Defense Policy

In the News

May 24, 2022

Katz quoted in Arabi21 on how NATO may assuage Turkey to accept the membership of Sweden and Finland

By Atlantic Council

Arabic NATO Partnerships
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Experts

Fellow

Philip W. Yu

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Indo-Pacific

Fellow

Peter Watkins

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Policy Defense Technologies

Staff

Anna Wieslander

Director, Northern Europe

Europe Center

Defense Policy Disinformation

Fellow

Tod D. Wolters

Distinguished Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Europe & Eurasia National Security

Fellow

Valbona Zeneli

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Albanian Corruption