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

Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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
Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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
Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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
Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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
Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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
Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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
Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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
Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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
Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

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

Apr 14, 2022

Wieslander interviewed by New York Times on Swedish & Finnish NATO membership

By Anna Wieslander

The New York Times writes, “However complicated NATO membership looks for Sweden politically, it would be dangerous to be left outside the alliance if Finland joins, since the two countries are each other’s closest defense partners and plan for war together, Ms. Wieslander, a Swede who is the Atlantic Council’s director for Northern Europe, said […]

Europe & Eurasia NATO

In the News

Apr 14, 2022

Secretary Yellen’s remarks on China ties to Russia from our event were featured in South China Morning Post

Read the full article here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

New Atlanticist

Apr 13, 2022

Russia Crisis Military Assessment: How Ukraine can take the fight to Russia

By Atlantic Council military fellows

As Ukraine prepares for a larger fight against Russian forces in the east, its military is in urgent need of weapons that will support an offensive, according to our military fellows.

Conflict NATO

In the News

Apr 13, 2022

Secretary Yellen’s speech from our event was featured in the Politico

Read the full article here.

China Conflict

In the News

Apr 13, 2022

Secretary Yellen’s remarks from our event were featured in the CNBC

Read the full article here.

China Conflict

In the News

Apr 13, 2022

Secretary Yellen’s remarks on countries remaining neutral on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from our event were cited in Wall Street Journal

Read the full article here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

In the News

Apr 13, 2022

Wieslander interviewed by Swedish National Radio’s “USA Podcast” on Russia and NATO

By Anna Wieslander

Director for Northern Europe Anna Wieslander spoke about President Joe Biden calling Russia’s war in Ukraine a genocide as well as the history of NATO and the impact of the United States’ security blanket for small European states.

Europe & Eurasia NATO

In the News

Apr 13, 2022

Secretary Yellen’s remarks on China’s relationship with Russia from our event featuring her special address were quoted in Reuters

Read the full article here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

In the News

Apr 13, 2022

Secretary Yellen’s comments on the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global commodities were featured in CNBC

Read the full article here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

In the News

Apr 13, 2022

CNN Business featured Secretary Yellen’s remarks from our event

Read the full article here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions
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Experts

Fellow

Stefano Stefanini

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

English Europe & Eurasia

Staff

Kimberly Talley

Assistant Director

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Security & Defense

Fellow

Jessica Taylor

Nonresident Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Crisis Management East Asia

Staff

Kristen Taylor

Assistant Director

Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia European Union

Fellow

James J. Townsend Jr.

Senior Advisor

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Alexander Vershbow

Distinguished Fellow

Eurasia Center Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Europe & Eurasia NATO
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