NATO

NATO has been the cornerstone of transatlantic security, uniting 32 democracies across North America and Europe. Originally established to deter Soviet aggression, the alliance now defends its members against conventional threats and engages in peacekeeping and crisis management amid a dramatically altered security landscape—most notably shaped by Russia’s war against Ukraine. CSIS analysis explores how NATO successfully maintains close cooperation with partner nations worldwide and how the strategy of the alliance can evolve to reflect changing geopolitical norms in its principles, operations, and efficacy.

Photo: Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images

Photo: Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images

The Europe Force Posture Review and the Transition to NATO 3.0

The Europe Force Posture Review marks a pivotal moment in NATO's evolution. The ultimate challenge is whether European allies can close critical capability gaps during the transition while preserving the cohesion that underpins collective defense.

Commentary by Jonathan Burchell — August 25, 2026

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Max Bergmann

Max Bergmann

Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center
Seth G. Jones

Seth G. Jones

President, Defense and Security Department; Harold Brown Chair
Benjamin Jensen

Benjamin Jensen

Director, Futures Lab and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Jerry McGinn

Jerry McGinn

Director, Center for the Industrial Base and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Yasir Atalan

Yasir Atalan

Deputy Director and Data Fellow, Futures Lab, Defense and Security Department

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The Europe Force Posture Review and the Transition to NATO 3.0

The Europe Force Posture Review marks a pivotal moment in NATO's evolution. The ultimate challenge is whether European allies can close critical capability gaps during the transition while preserving the cohesion that underpins collective defense.

Commentary by Jonathan Burchell — August 25, 2026

The NATO Ankara Summit: Delivery over Drama

The NATO Ankara Summit may have lacked dramatic headlines, but it delivered where it mattered most—advancing European defense capabilities, reinforcing support for Ukraine, and demonstrating that Alliance adaptation continues amid strategic uncertainty.

Commentary by Jonathan Burchell — July 15, 2026

Rebuilding to Reconquer: Can Russia’s Defense Firms Deliver?

After four years of war, Russia’s defense industrial base has significantly reshaped, creating an asymmetric threat to NATO: It can rapidly scale production of weapons proven on the battlefield, combining Soviet-style resource allocation with selective market mechanisms.

Report by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, Nicholas Fenton, and Max Bergmann — July 14, 2026

Managing the Long-Term Russian Threat to Europe

The war in Ukraine and changing transatlantic relations are shifting the risk matrix facing Europe. In response, NATO needs to manage the transition to European-led defense, minimizing gaps while communicating strength, resolve, and unity to Moscow.

Report by Jeffrey Mankoff — July 9, 2026

Russian Attitudes Are Shifting as the War’s Effects Come Home

Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian refineries combine military and economic pressure in ways previous shocks did not. While unlikely to transform public opinion, they raise the Kremlin's domestic costs and create an opportunity for the West to amplify the pressure.

Commentary by Maria Snegovaya and Jade McGlynn — July 7, 2026

Make the Ankara Summit About European Defense Autonomy

As NATO meets in Ankara amid transatlantic strain, European allies must present the Trump administration with a burden-shifting roadmap, put its defense industry on a wartime footing, and advance NATO-EU cooperation by addressing Turkey’s role in European defense.

Commentary by Max Bergmann and Otto Svendsen — July 6, 2026