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NATO

A Cold War military alliance, undergirded by U.S. nuclear weapons and conventional military power

75 years after its founding and more than three decades since the Soviet Union collapsed, the NATO alliance now includes 32 members and shares a 1,600-mile strategic border with Russia. As the war in Ukraine grinds on, critical questions persist about the U.S. role in the alliance, shifting burdens, and the importance of European strategic autonomy.

NATO EXPERTS

Benjamin
Friedman

Policy Director

Defense Priorities

Jennifer
Kavanagh

Senior Fellow & Director of Military Analysis

Defense Priorities

Barry
Posen

Ford International Professor of Political Science, Security Studies Program

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Brian
Blankenship

Non-Resident Fellow

Defense Priorities

Christopher
McCallion

Fellow

Defense Priorities

Daniel
DePetris

Fellow

Defense Priorities

Daniel
Davis

Senior Fellow & Military Expert

Defense Priorities

Moritz
Graefrath

Non-Resident Fellow

Defense Priorities

Mike
Sweeney

Non-Resident Fellow

Defense Priorities

Op-edEurope and Eurasia, NATO

To ensure Europe rearms, bring the troops home

By Anthony Constantini

June 1, 2026

The Trump administration is pushing NATO allies to embrace “NATO 3.0,” which would see European member states take more responsibility […]

Op-edNATO, Europe and Eurasia

Europe should defend itself

By John Grover

May 29, 2026

Op-edNATO, Alliances, Europe and Eurasia

Why Trump’s Germany Drawdown is Overdue

By Violet Collins

May 28, 2026

Symposia: Antique alliance: Rethinking NATO at 75

Ahead of the Washington, DC, NATO summit, which will mark 75 years since its founding, Defense Priorities (DEFP) organized this symposium to stimulate critical thinking about the military alliance. Top experts shared their insights in an effort to inform and improve U.S. policy. Each contributor provided an answer to the same question: “What is the biggest U.S. policy mistake with regard to NATO?”