“NATO basically forgot about its military”

Plus, meet the trans-Atlantic alliance’s next sec-gen. JUNE 25, 2024  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     Flagpoles bearing national flags of NATO members adorn the entrance of NATO Headquarters in Brussels on June 13, 2024. Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images The best of times and the worst of times: In many ways, NATO is going through both right now. The trans-Atlantic defense alliance, which is preparing to celebrate its 75th anniversary at a summit in Washington next month, has strengthened its collective will following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. It has welcomed new members Sweden and Finland. And a [record number]( of member states, more than 20 in all, will this year meet the alliance’s 2 percent defense spending goal—up from just three countries a decade ago, when the targets were first put in place. Yet NATO also faces challenges, some existential in nature. For a long time the alliance has struggled with [not enough troops](, and as FP’s Jack Detsch reported, the problem is only getting worse. “NATO basically forgot about its military,” one senior NATO diplomat told Detsch, who also talked to the chair of NATO’s Military Committee about urgent plans to ramp up capacity. (Russia, Detsch noted, is having no such troubles in its ongoing war in Ukraine.) Meanwhile, leadership of the alliance is about to change. In October of this year, current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will be succeeded by outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. FP doesn’t often take on personalities in our analysis of geopolitics, but a[fascinating profile of Rutte]( by FP columnist Caroline de Gruyter exemplifies how the personal can reveal the political. In surveying many of those who know Rutte best, de Gruyter paints a portrait of the next “sec-gen”: the kind of guy who has been staying in the same no-frills Chinatown hotel on New York trips for the last 30 years, and who on every visit dines with legendary journalist Robert Caro at the same restaurant, will likely run a tight, disciplined ship at NATO. “Probably the most important thing to know about Rutte,” de Gruyter writes, “is that he is a very controlled person.” You’ll want to follow our NATO summit coverage in the coming weeks, and—at a minimum—make sure you’re [subscribed to Situation Report](, a Thursday digest on all things national security and defense, direct from Detsch and his colleague Robbie Gramer. Enjoy special editions from July 9 to 11.—Amelia Lester P.S. FP’s Summer ‘24 print magazine drops next week. Featuring articles from 10 top geopolitical thinkers, the issue is filled with expert and timely insights on what the future holds for European security and alliances. [Unlock full digital access]( to the magazine for just $20 today. Subscribers enjoy daily reports and analysis, our extensive 50-plus-year magazine archive, on-demand conversations with world experts, and more.   New and Noteworthy - China’s rise: “The need to compete more effectively with China is perhaps the only foreign-policy issue on which nearly all Democrats and Republicans agree,” Stephen M. Walt [writes](. What lessons can U.S. foreign-policy officials learn from China’s ascent? - Report: Tensions are rising between Israel and Hezbollah along the northern border, amid ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. 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[Watch]( the conversation now, or [read]( the edited transcript.   FROM FP EVENTS [The Future of Cancer Care]( Join Foreign Policy, in partnership with Burjeel Holdings, to hear from leaders from business, policy, academia, and civil society on strategies to ensure that cancer treatment is accessible and affordable for patients everywhere. This is an in-person event in New York City. [RESERVE MY SPOT](   Most Popular [An employee lays an undersea fiber optic cable at Arrietara Beach, located near the Spanish Basque village of Sopelana, on June 13, 2017.]( [NATO Wants to Boost Its Undersea Defenses]( Officials fear Russia could cut the undersea cable network that undergirds much of the global economy. By Jack Detsch, Keith Johnson [Brian Gu, co-president of Xpeng Inc., has his photo taken next to Xpeng G6 and X9 electric cars in Hong Kong on May 17. ]( [Western Protectionism Needs an End Date]( Reliance on tariffs to shield against superior Chinese products is a trap. 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