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

Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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
Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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
Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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
Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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
Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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
Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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
Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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
Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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
Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

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 5, 2022

Lipsky quoted in Politico discussing impacts of a potential Russian default on the global economy

Read the full article here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

In the News

Apr 5, 2022

Sales in NBC News: One of the worst ways Putin is gaslighting the world on Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Crisis Management

In the News

Apr 5, 2022

Wieslander quoted in Euronews on potential Swedish NATO membership

By Anna Wieslander

“I think we had a shift in public opinion as well as Finland did, but the Finns had a much larger shift” explains Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council. “One of the reasons we experts estimated that Sweden would move first is that since 2013 we had support that could be up to […]

Europe & Eurasia NATO

In the News

Apr 5, 2022

Wieslander quoted in Reuters on NATO in the Arctic

By Anna Wieslander

“Sweden’s non-aligned status is increasingly blurred,” said Anna Wieslander, Northern Europe Director at the Atlantic Council think-tank. “If you look at it, we are preparing to meet the adversary together and I think there is no doubt in which camp we are,” she said. “You can see the warnings Russia has given so there is […]

Europe & Eurasia NATO

The Big Story

Apr 5, 2022

How will the Russia-Ukraine war reshape the world? Here are four possible futures.

By Mathew Burrows, Robert A. Manning

Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine is a world-historical event, marking the final act of the post-Cold War period and the start of a new era, yet unwritten. The spectrum of possible outcomes ranges from a volatile new cold or hot war involving the United States, Russia, and China; to a frozen conflict in Ukraine; to a post-Putin settlement in which Russia becomes part of a revised European security architecture.

Conflict Europe & Eurasia
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he is surrounded by Ukrainian servicemen as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Bucha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

New Atlanticist

Apr 4, 2022

Russian War Report: Kremlin claims Bucha massacre was staged by Ukraine

Civilians have been found dead, many with their hands bound and simply left on the street, in Bucha. Despite the evidence, the Kremlin is trying to cover it up through disinformation and confusion.

Belarus Disinformation

In the News

Apr 3, 2022

Global Sanctions Dashboard and graphic showing Russian foreign reserve assets cited in the New York Times

Read the full piece here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions

In the News

Apr 2, 2022

Friedlander cited in the Economist on illegal oil shipments as a means of sanctions evasion

Read the full article here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions
An eyewitness captures video of military helicopters approaching Belgorod, Russia. (Source: @UAWeapons/archive)

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2022

Russian War Report: Videos appear to show missiles striking Russian oil depot

By Digital Forensic Research Lab

Video surfaced showing a possible attack on a Russian oil depot in Belgorod. Elsewhere, a Russian official threatened Azerbaijan with nukes.

Belarus Conflict

In the News

Apr 1, 2022

O’Toole quoted in Bloomberg on the limited options for bondholders with cash stuck in Russia

Read the full article here.

Conflict Economic Sanctions
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Experts

Fellow

Richard D. Hooker, Jr.

Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia National Security

Fellow

Beniamino Irdi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Disinformation English

Fellow

Marta Kepe

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Industry English

Fellow

Timo S. Koster

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Cybersecurity Dutch

Fellow

Erwan Lagadec

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

English Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Natasha Lander Finch

Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Arms Control Europe & Eurasia
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