NATO’s mission is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members in a world where threats are growing, complex and interlinked. It does so through political and military means, based on the principle of collective defence as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.
At the 2023 Vilnius Summit, NATO Leaders agreed a renewed Defence Investment Pledge, making an enduring commitment to invest at least 2% of their GDP annually in defence, including on major equipment. They also reaffirmed that NATO must have the capabilities needed to defend its territory, populations and lines of communication from a full range of potential threats and challenges, across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.
At the same time, NATO continues to address the serious risks posed by Russia’s asymmetric military build-up and attempts to reshape the global order in its favour. Allies are increasing their investments in a range of advanced conventional capabilities, while developing innovative new technologies. At the same time, they are strengthening their nuclear deterrent and working to strengthen their missile defences.
At the same time, NATO maintains a broad network of structured partnerships with countries from around the world. These partners pursue dialogue and practical cooperation with the Alliance on a variety of political and security-related issues and many contribute to NATO-led operations and missions.
