King's College London

Professor Andrew Dorman has published a new article on the Chatham House website examining the high political and financial stakes of the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. He argues that President Trump’s renewed ambivalence toward NATO’s Article 5 commitment is accelerating European defence spending, but not necessarily in ways that benefit the United States. The summit will likely see calls for increased defence budgets and greater strategic autonomy among European members, especially in response to both Russia’s aggression and uncertainty about America’s long-term commitment to the alliance.

The piece, titled ‘NATO summit spending promises may cost America dear’, explores how diverging priorities within NATO could reshape transatlantic defence cooperation. Professor Dorman warns that while higher defence spending may please Washington in the short term, it also risks encouraging Europe to pursue independent military capabilities, ultimately weakening U.S. influence.