Skip to page content

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Featured

As a military alliance with roots in the Cold War, NATO's strategy and purpose have had to shift since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. RAND has assisted U.S. and European defense establishments by recommending expansion strategies; analyzing activities in the Balkans and Afghanistan, areas outside NATO's traditional focus; and advising decisionmakers on issues critical to NATO's mission and the interests of its member nations.

Report
Avoiding a Long War in Ukraine
The United States has a strong interest in avoiding a long war in Ukraine. Although Washington cannot alone determine the war's duration, it can take steps to make an eventual negotiated peace more likely.
Jan 25, 2023
Commentary
A New Era? NATO's Prioritisation of Human Security in an Insecure World
Human security and NATO's role and responsibility to protect civilians during conflict saw new prioritization in the alliance's 2022 Strategic Concept. While much progress has been made, more could be done to ensure the alliance can deliver on these commitments.
Aug 10, 2022

Explore North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Commentary
The Baltic Balance: How to Reduce the Chances of War in Europe
Recent announcements of increased U.S. military support in the Baltics are a positive step in addressing a major new challenge to European security.
Jul 2, 2015
Commentary
Will Putin Gamble All on a Broader Ukraine Invasion?
If the Kremlin is contemplating further action in Ukraine, it faces a tough choice. The decision could have an enduring impact on Russia's fortunes.
May 26, 2015
Commentary
Ukraine Crisis Is a Geopolitical Game Changer
Russia's aggression abroad and repression at home have altered the basic assumptions of earlier Western policy. By misjudging the tolerance for aggression in Europe, Moscow is bringing on the encirclement it fears. The West is now better prepared to deal with any further aggression and more confident that Ukraine's future will be as part of an enlarged Europe.
Apr 17, 2015
Report
The Ukrainian Crisis and European Security
If the Department of Defense is tasked with helping NATO build a more robust deterrence and defense posture in Eastern Europe, the U.S. Army and Air Force will need to revisit planning assumptions that have minimized U.S. military commitments to that region since the end of the Cold War.
Apr 2, 2015
Commentary
France Is Replacing the UK as America's Top Ally in Europe
The United States' relationship with France should be recognized and strengthened. France retains the military capability and the political moxie to contribute significantly and aggressively to collective responses to security threats to the Atlantic Alliance.
Mar 30, 2015
Report
NATO Needs a Comprehensive Strategy for Russia
Russia's intervention in Ukraine has shattered the vision of a stable, secure, and economically healthy Europe that's guided NATO and EU policy for two decades. NATO, working closely with the EU, needs to regain the initiative to proactively seek peace and stability in Europe and find a coherent, cohesive way forward.
Mar 25, 2015
Commentary
What Afghanistan Wants from Washington
Afghan President Ghani's main mission in coming to Washington is to change the American view of Afghanistan, not so much inside the Obama administration as on Capitol Hill. This view remains a mostly negative one, formed by a seemingly endless war, high levels of government corruption, and repeated expressions of rank ingratitude on the part of Ghani's predecessor.
Mar 23, 2015
Commentary
Stop Putin's Next Invasion Before It Starts
The U.S. needs to consider stationing forces in Eastern Europe to support its commitment to protect the independence of the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania against Russian aggression. If not, and Russia invades, the options available to this or a future U.S. president are stark.
Mar 20, 2015
Commentary
Europe Must Spend More on Arms to Deter Putin
Demonstrations in Greece and elsewhere suggest that the European public may have little sympathy for governments not devoting most efforts to domestic discontent and foreign indebtedness. But the longtime downward trends in European defense spending matter now that Russia has chosen to flex its military might, diminished though it may be.
Mar 3, 2015
Commentary
ISIS Aims to Occupy Mecca
As ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reaches for control of the holy sites in and around Mecca and Medina and the wealth that comes with them, the U.S., NATO, and others should consider providing significant equipment and know-how to shore up the border defenses of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan.
Jan 19, 2015
Commentary
Yes, Russia's Military Is Getting More Aggressive
As Russia's relations with the U.S. and Europe have deteriorated following Moscow's aggression in Ukraine, fly-bys of European neighbors by Russian aircraft have taken on new urgency. How should the West think about these provocative flights in light of understanding Russia's nuclear threat?
Dec 31, 2014
Commentary
Rapprochement with Russia?
The ruble's fragility presents an opportunity for American and European diplomats to offer Putin a deal that de-escalates the war in Ukraine, provides Russia sanctions relief, and revitalizes Moscow's economic ties with the West.
Dec 30, 2014
Commentary
Rough and Tumble of Building Democracy in Georgia
Leadership squabbles and instincts for retribution are testing Georgia's democracy. If leaders do not come together to strengthen the political system and governance, Georgia's future could hang in the balance.
Nov 26, 2014
Commentary
NATO's Campaign in Libya Offers Salient Lessons for the Air War Against ISIL
The NATO air campaign that helped defeat Qaddafi's regime in Libya has received relatively little mention in public discussion of the ongoing air strikes against ISIS. But the campaign in Libya offers at least five lessons that deserve greater attention today.
Nov 25, 2014
Commentary
What's the Plan? The NATO Coalition in Afghanistan
The imminent changes to the NATO mission in Afghanistan will be profound and, more crucially, carry unpredictable outcomes. After January 1, the removal of tens of thousands of coalition troops will trigger an inevitable period of adjustment as all sides involved in the conflict press for a new equilibrium that tilts in its favor.
Nov 19, 2014
Commentary
What's the Plan? The Afghan Government
With the election dispute settled, one can sense a feeling of hope and opportunity among the Afghan political spectrum. Members of each camp are voicing optimism and saying the right things, but before the unity government can address the country's issues, it must first clear the hurdle of appointing new leadership.
Nov 10, 2014
Commentary
The Damage Already Done in Ukraine
The conflict in Ukraine calls for capable diplomacy, open channels of communication, and clear strategies. At least the latter two appear to be absent, but they can be developed in time. Ending the conflict, however, calls for clear mutual intent to solve problems, build trust, and move forward.
Sep 8, 2014
Commentary
A Dispatch from the Ukrainian Front
If Putin sought advice about what NATO is thinking, his Russian Western Front Military commander might say that given its current political indecisiveness and lack of military readiness, NATO lacks the capability to launch a credible intervention, but they should watch for changes in the alliance posture.
Sep 5, 2014
Commentary
A Diplomatic Solution for Ukraine
Despite uncertainty about Russian military plans and the outcome of Ukrainian operations against pro-Russian separatists, it's not too soon to consider how to lay the foundations for a negotiated solution. If Moscow were unwilling to reach a fair settlement, the West would have options to increase its leverage.
Aug 27, 2014
Commentary
NATO's Crucial Summit
President Obama can take action now to ensure the September NATO summit in Wales underscores transatlantic resolve and capability in the face of Russian aggression and provide the strong, decisive U.S. leadership NATO needs in this time of crisis.
Aug 15, 2014

Previous
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Next

RAND Topic:
North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Topic Synonyms:
NATO;
North Atlantic Alliance;
OTAN

Research conducted by