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North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

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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.

Commentary
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

Multimedia
RAND Experts Discuss the First Year of the Russia-Ukraine War
In this Call with the Experts podcast, RAND researchers discuss the first year of the Russia-Ukraine war. This call was recorded on February 2, 2023.
Feb 2, 2023
Report
China's Growing Role in the Arctic
China has become a player in the Arctic region, engaging in economic, scientific, cultural, diplomatic, and military activities. What security risks do China's investments pose, and what could the United States and its partners do to mitigate undesirable Chinese involvement in the region?
Dec 23, 2022
Commentary
Responding to a Russian Attack on NATO During the Ukraine War
The Ukraine war has created a unique set of circumstances that make a limited Russian attack against a NATO target plausible. If such an attack were to occur, how might the United States and NATO respond?
Dec 20, 2022
Report
Expanding Japan-Europe Defense Cooperation: Implications for the U.S.-Japan Alliance: Summary of a November 2021 Conference
The authors assess the implications of growing defense ties, military activities and engagements, security agreements, and potential future developments between European actors and Japan and consider how these growing ties align with U.S. interests.
Dec 7, 2022
Report
Russian Military Strategy: Organizing Operations for the Initial Period of War
The authors of this report identify and examine several factors to assess the orientation of Russian military strategy, including the balance of power, Russian diplomacy with China, views on future war, and trends in force readiness and mobilization.
Nov 22, 2022
Report
The Challenges and Opportunities of Institutional Capacity Building Through Professional Military Education: Lessons from the Defense Education Enhancement Program
This report is intended to inform U.S. personnel, NATO Allies, and other Euro-Atlantic governments of the Defense Education Enhancement Program's status from 2018 to 2020, its opportunities and challenges, and ways the program can be improved.
Oct 11, 2022
Report
Russian Coercive Signaling Toward the West
In recent years, Russia has consistently engaged in signaling activities—military actions far short of direct aggression but often creating escalatory risks—toward the United States and its allies. Understanding what drives this behavior can help U.S. efforts to interpret future events.
Sep 29, 2022
Blog
Homelessness in L.A., Russia's Military Woes, Educator Morale: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on breaking the cycle of incarceration and homelessness, Russia’s ongoing military struggles, NATO expansion, and more.
Aug 19, 2022
Commentary
Finnish and Swedish NATO Membership: Toward a Larger, Stronger, Smarter Alliance
Finland and Sweden are poised to become full NATO members in the near future. The Nordic pair's entry into NATO means that alliance leaders and planners confront new challenges, and just as many opportunities.
Aug 12, 2022
Blog
Talking to Russia, Racial Bias, Mine-Hunting Dolphins: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on preventing escalation of the war in Ukraine, how racial bias compounds over time, why the Navy should stick with its mine-hunting dolphins, and more.
Jul 29, 2022
Commentary
Potential Pathways to Russian Escalation Against NATO
A Russia-NATO war is far from an inevitable outcome of the current conflict in Ukraine. U.S. and allied policymakers should be concerned with specific pathways and potential triggers, but they need not operate under the assumption that every action will entail acute escalation risks.
Jul 26, 2022
News Release
NATO Steers Towards New Focus on Human Security
Ahead of this week's NATO Summit in Madrid, RAND Europe's Centre for Human Security brought together over forty experts from across military, government, academia, think tanks, and civil society for a seminar to explore the concept of Human Security and its applications at NATO now and in the future.
Jun 24, 2022
Report
Russian Military Forecasting and Analysis: The Military-Political Situation and Military Potential in Strategic Planning
In this report, the authors draw on a framework developed by the Russian military science community to gain insight into the likelihood and character of future war and the correlation of military potential between Russia and potential adversaries.
Jun 23, 2022
Report
Human Security and the 2022 NATO Strategic Concept: Knowledge, Insights and Lessons Learned
These conference proceedings document the perspectives of human security experts brought together to provide recommendations on the importance of human security within the new Strategic Concept and the future of NATO.
Jun 15, 2022
Commentary
Rethinking the EU's Role in European Collective Defence
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is forcing European nations to quickly re-evaluate how best to maintain their collective security. This makes the concept of European strategic autonomy—the EU's increased ability to operate independently and with partners of choice on defence and security matters—more relevant than ever.
May 20, 2022
Commentary
The Value of Institutional Capacity Building Through Professional Military Education
Security cooperation rarely makes headlines. But it enhances the security of the United States and its allies and partners in an effective and cost-effective way, and may deserve more attention and support.
Apr 25, 2022
Blog
Responding to Russian Cyberattacks, Rebuilding Ukraine, Climate Change: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the U.S. could respond to Russian cyberattacks, what it will take to rebuild Ukraine after the war, why U.S. employers still have the power over workers, and more.
Apr 22, 2022
Commentary
Book Review: 'Escalation and Deescalation of Crises, Armed Conflicts, and Wars'
The evolving crisis in Ukraine has generated much discussion about whether Moscow would escalate the conflict, whether in frustration at the slow progress of its military operations, or in response to actions of other states, even possibly resorting to nuclear weapons. But what do Russian sources suggest about escalation?
Apr 11, 2022

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RAND Topic:
North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Topic Synonyms:
NATO;
North Atlantic Alliance;
OTAN

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Irina A. Chindea

Political Scientist

Irina A. Chindea is a political scientist at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Her research interests include strategic competition, U.S. foreign policy and grand strategy, security cooperation, NATO and alliance politics, and irregular warfare. The…
Benjamin J. Sacks

Policy Researcher

Benjamin Sacks is a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, and a professor of political geography at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. At RAND, Sacks employs mixed-methods approaches to examine the history, political geography, public diplomacy, and networks of major power competition,…

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