NATO in times of crisis. Safeguarding the future of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance
At its 2025 summit in The Hague, NATO confronted a pivotal moment, agreeing on a historic pledge to spend five per cent of GDP on defence by 2035. The decision was welcomed by US President Donald Trump and signalled unity. However, it also exposed deep undercurrents of challenges facing the Alliance.
September 26, 2025 -
Wojciech Michnik
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AnalysisIssue 5 2025Magazine
Meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Heads of State and Government - 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague
Photo courtesy of NATO
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk cautioned during the 2024 US presidential election campaign that Europe must be prepared to shoulder far greater responsibility for its own security, regardless of who enters the White House: “Some claim that the future of Europe depends on the American elections,” Tusk noted pointedly, “but in fact, it depends first and foremost on us … Whatever the outcome, the era of geopolitical outsourcing is over.”
Fast forward to 2025 and those words appear strikingly relevant. Amid growing signs of US retrenchment and strategic ambivalence towards Europe, NATO allies have faced a sobering reality check. Yet, to a significant degree, they have begun to respond. The decisions taken at the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague, including increased defence spending and a stronger focus on forward deterrence, suggest a growing European willingness to step up and adapt to a shifting transatlantic balance.
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Hague Summit, NATO, security
