(Out-) Partnering for a Great Power Competition

In his 1963 Foreign Affairs essay "The Practice of Partnership," Dean Acheson emphasized "the great accretion of strength which membership in our alliances in this hemisphere and in Europe brings to a confrontation of power." As NATO prepares for the Washington Summit in July 2024 to commemorate its 75th anniversary, Acheson's words resonate, highlighting the enduring importance of the Alliance. His insight into the collective strength brought about by alliances and partnerships has a profound relevance in a new era of great power competition. In today's context, the impact of the Alliance extends well beyond the traditional Euro-Atlantic sphere, touching upon a global scale of strategic interests and security concerns. The resurgence of Russia, the rise of China, and transnational threats are challenges that increasingly require a cooperative approach involving a robust network of alliances and partnerships.

The upcoming summit, akin to the NATO summits held in Washington in 1978 and 1999, comes at a pivotal time for the Alliance. The first Washington Summit in 1978 convened 15 Heads of State and Government from allied nations to address the delicate balance between maintaining security in the Euro-Atlantic area and promoting East-West détente during a period of easing tensions between NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries. In April 1999, leaders from 18 nations, including for the first time representatives from Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic—former Warsaw Pact members—came together for the second Washington Summit, marking NATO's 50th anniversary. This summit aimed to redefine NATO's mission for the post-Cold War era. As NATO approaches the third Washington Summit that will bring together 32 allies as well as partners including the EU, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific 4, the Alliance finds itself at a critical juncture yet again, facing a fundamentally altered security environment amid the resurgence of direct threats to its territorial integrity and the return of great power competition.

The evolving nature of NATO's role and the formidable challenges it faces underscore the necessity for constant adaptation and transformation within the Alliance. At a time when geopolitical dynamics shift, NATO must remain agile and responsive to confront threats and challenges that are becoming more complex, global, and interconnected. And to do so, the Alliance must enhance dialogue and practical collaboration with a vast network of partners, including non-member countries and international organizations, as well as industry and academia.

Partnerships are thus a cornerstone of NATO's strategy that underpins its transformation and adaptation to the evolving security landscape. Within NATO's core task of cooperative security, partnerships are also a force-multiplier that can enhance the Alliance's capabilities, extend its reach, and provide the necessary political, military, diplomatic and economic tools to to shape the broader strategic environment. While adversaries and strategic competitors strengthen their partnerships, NATO must fortify its own network of partners to enhance deterrence and resilience. Reinforcing NATO’s out-partnering function in the context of great power competition offers an opportunity to revitalize NATO's approach to partnerships.