2024 NATO Summit
Marking 75 years of the Alliance
Seventy-five years ago, 12 countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C. to ensure their collective defence in an unpredictable world.
This year, 32 NATO Allies will meet again in Washington, D.C. to make key decisions on how to continue to protect their one billion citizens as the world faces the most dangerous security environment since the Cold War.
WHO
NATO Heads of State and Government and key partnersWHERE
Washington, D.C., United StatesWHEN
9-11 July 2024WHY
To address the challenges facing the Alliance and further strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defenceWe are at our best when we take difficult decisions with political courage, and moral clarity. And I know that we are stronger and safer together, in NATO.
- Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General
Key decisions
On 9-11 July, NATO Leaders met in Washington, D.C., where the North Atlantic Treaty – NATO’s founding document – was signed in 1949. They gathered to commemorate NATO’s 75th anniversary and took important decisions to set the strategic direction for the future of the Alliance. Find out more about the key decisions below, and read the fullWashington Summit Declaration and theStatement of the NATO-Ukraine Council for more information.
- Deterrence and defenceAllies welcomed news that defence expenditure by European Allies and Canada has experienced the biggest increase in decades. They also reaffirmed their commitment to investing 2% of Gross Domestic Product in defence with a record 23 Allies reaching that threshold this year. Allies renewed their commitment to implementing the Defence Investment Pledge agreed in Vilnius in 2023, and delivering on previous Summit decisions to modernise NATO for a new era of collective defence. They pledged to expand their defence industrial capacity, to further enhance NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence with new ballistic missile defence assets, and to boost NATO’s cyber defence with a new NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre. Allies remain determined to bolster transatlantic defence industrial cooperation, acting urgently to deliver the most critical capabilities, and reinforcing the commitment to NATO standards underscored by the adoption of the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge.
- Deterrence and defenceAllies welcomed news that defence expenditure by European Allies and Canada has experienced the biggest increase in decades. They also reaffirmed their commitment to investing 2% of Gross Domestic Product in defence with a record 23 Allies reaching that threshold this year. Allies renewed their commitment to implementing the Defence Investment Pledge agreed in Vilnius in 2023, and delivering on previous Summit decisions to modernise NATO for a new era of collective defence. They pledged to expand their defence industrial capacity, to further enhance NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence with new ballistic missile defence assets, and to boost NATO’s cyber defence with a new NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre. Allies remain determined to bolster transatlantic defence industrial cooperation, acting urgently to deliver the most critical capabilities, and reinforcing the commitment to NATO standards underscored by the adoption of the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge.
- Support to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine was warmly welcomed to the Washington Summit and Allies reaffirmed that they will continue to support Ukraine on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. Heads of State and Government issued aStatement of the NATO-Ukraine Council, in which Allies welcomed the launch of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) in Wiesbaden, Germany with logistical hubs on NATO’s eastern flank, and to coordinate the provision of military equipment and training for Ukraine. Allies also welcomed the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC) to identify and implement lessons learned during Russia’s war of aggression, and increase Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO. They also announced a Pledge of Long-Term Security Assistance for Ukraine for the provision of military equipment, assistance and training, providing a minimum baseline funding of EUR 40 billion within the next year, and sustainable levels of security assistance in the future.
- Support to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine was warmly welcomed to the Washington Summit and Allies reaffirmed that they will continue to support Ukraine on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. Heads of State and Government issued aStatement of the NATO-Ukraine Council, in which Allies welcomed the launch of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) in Wiesbaden, Germany with logistical hubs on NATO’s eastern flank, and to coordinate the provision of military equipment and training for Ukraine. Allies also welcomed the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC) to identify and implement lessons learned during Russia’s war of aggression, and increase Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO. They also announced a Pledge of Long-Term Security Assistance for Ukraine for the provision of military equipment, assistance and training, providing a minimum baseline funding of EUR 40 billion within the next year, and sustainable levels of security assistance in the future.
- PartnershipsAllies welcomed leaders from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the European Union to discuss common security challenges and areas of cooperation. NATO-EU cooperation has reached unprecedented levels and Allies resolved to continue strengthening this important partnership. The Alliance will also continue to enhance political dialogue and practical cooperation with the Western Balkans, and remains committed to engagement in the region, including via the Kosovo Force (KFOR). With regard to NATO’s southern neighbourhood, Allies adopted an action plan for a stronger, more strategic and result-oriented approach toward the region, and invited the Secretary General to designate a Special Representative who will serve as NATO’s focal point for its southern neighbourhood and coordinate NATO’s efforts there.
- PartnershipsAllies welcomed leaders from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the European Union to discuss common security challenges and areas of cooperation. NATO-EU cooperation has reached unprecedented levels and Allies resolved to continue strengthening this important partnership. The Alliance will also continue to enhance political dialogue and practical cooperation with the Western Balkans, and remains committed to engagement in the region, including via the Kosovo Force (KFOR). With regard to NATO’s southern neighbourhood, Allies adopted an action plan for a stronger, more strategic and result-oriented approach toward the region, and invited the Secretary General to designate a Special Representative who will serve as NATO’s focal point for its southern neighbourhood and coordinate NATO’s efforts there.
Key topics on the agenda
At the Washington Summit, NATO Leaders will address a wide variety of issues facing the Alliance and ensure that NATO remains ready to respond to any challenge. Click through the links below to explore the key topics on the agenda.
- Deterrence and defenceSince Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, NATO has implemented the largest reinforcement of the Alliance’s collective defence in a generation, enhancing its ability to defend all Allies on land, at sea, in the air, in cyberspace and in space.
Read more:
Collective defence and Article 5
NATO’s military presence in the east of the Alliance
Deterrence and defence
NATO’s nuclear deterrence policy and forces
Funding NATO
- Deterrence and defenceSince Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, NATO has implemented the largest reinforcement of the Alliance’s collective defence in a generation, enhancing its ability to defend all Allies on land, at sea, in the air, in cyberspace and in space.
- Assistance to Ukraine NATO Allies are providing an unprecedented level of support to Ukraine, helping the country uphold its right to self-defence, as enshrined in the UN Charter. Allies’ contributions help Ukrainians defend their country against Russia's brutal invasion. All Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, that NATO’s door remains open and that it is for Ukraine and NATO Allies to decide on NATO membership.
Read more:
NATO's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Relations with Ukraine
NATO-Ukraine Council
Setting the record straight - De-bunking Russian disinformation on NATO
- Assistance to Ukraine NATO Allies are providing an unprecedented level of support to Ukraine, helping the country uphold its right to self-defence, as enshrined in the UN Charter. Allies’ contributions help Ukrainians defend their country against Russia's brutal invasion. All Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, that NATO’s door remains open and that it is for Ukraine and NATO Allies to decide on NATO membership.
- PartnershipsNATO is stronger and safer when it stands with like-minded partners to defend the rules-based international order. That is why the Alliance is stepping up cooperation with its network of partners, including in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific region, and with other international organisations, particularly the European Union.
Read more:
Enlargement and Article 10
NATO’s partnerships
Relations with partners in the Indo-Pacific region
Relations with the European Union
Relations with the United Nations
- PartnershipsNATO is stronger and safer when it stands with like-minded partners to defend the rules-based international order. That is why the Alliance is stepping up cooperation with its network of partners, including in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific region, and with other international organisations, particularly the European Union.
To find more information about NATO-related subjects, search theEncyclopedia of NATO topics.
NATO Through Time podcast
Why were there 12 founding NATO members?
What is Article 5, and why was it only invoked once in all of NATO’s history?
Why wasn’t NATO dissolved like the Warsaw Pact after the Cold War ended?
The NATO Through Time podcast features diverse voices from NATO member countries – including former Presidents, Prime Ministers, Foreign and Defence Ministers, military officers, NATO officials, historians, journalists and young citizens – answering these questions and reflecting on NATO’s past, present and future.
NATO Public Forum 2024
In parallel to the Washington Summit, the city will host the NATO Public Forum – an event that aims to promote a better public understanding of NATO's policies, goals and decisions through dialogue and engagement with a unique and diverse group of stakeholders. This year, the NATO Public Forum is co-hosted by NATO and the Government of the United States, in collaboration with the Atlantic Council, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), GLOBSEC, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Hudson Institute. The Forum will offer panel discussions, debates and interactive sessions about various topics on NATO's agenda.
To find out more about the Public Forum, visit itsofficial page.
The art of diplomacy:
Guess the NATO summit based on its logo
Before each summit, NATO develops a logo that aims to represent the unique spirit and setting of the meeting. These emblems are more than aesthetically pleasing symbols. Designed in cooperation with the host country, they often reflect the location and culture of the nation, or represent NATO anniversaries, milestones or key decisions. Can you tell which NATO summit was represented by each of the logos below? Test your knowledge and learn more about the significance of these important symbols, which have been displayed at NATO Leaders’ meetings over the past decades.
Loading...Learn more about the significance of this year’s summit
2024 marks 75 years of NATO. To reflect this milestone, the summit will take place in the same location where NATO’s founding treaty was signed: Washington, D.C. Follow the links below to learn more about NATO’s 75th anniversary year, the Washington Treaty, and the US and NATO.
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