This House of Lords Library briefing outlines recent NATO policy, including the increase in the deployment of forces in Eastern Europe since 2014. It also summarises recent comment on NATO preparedness in the face of external threats and the risk of fragmentation within the alliance.
NATO Alliance: Recent Developments (108 KB , PDF)
Current Deployment
The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has described the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as currently facing the greatest challenge to its security since the Cold War. Approximately 18,000 military personnel from member countries are engaged in NATO missions around the World, including in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Mediterranean. Following the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO has increased its presence in Eastern Europe, including the deployed on a rotational basis of four multinational battalions to the Baltic States and Poland.
2 Percent and 20 Percent Targets
The United States has recently renewed pressure on NATO partners to meet the commitment to spend above 2 percent of their gross domestic product of defence. In 2016, five countries met this target: the United States (3.61 percent); Greece (2.36 percent); Estonia (2.18 percent); the UK (2.17 percent); and Poland (2.01 percent).
NATO’s target is also that 20 percent of defence spending by member countries go towards equipment. In 2016, this target was met by 10 countries: Lithuania (27.65 percent); Luxemburg (27.24 percent); Poland (25.79 percent); Norway (25.08 percent); the United States (25.03 percent); France (24.48 percent); the UK (22.56 percent); Turkey (22.35 percent); Romania (20.40 percent) and Italy (20.24 percent).
NATO Alliance: Recent Developments (108 KB , PDF)
The ‘Strategic defence review 2025’ (SDR) was published on 2 June 2025. Contending that the UK faces a generational defence and security challenge, the SDR makes 62 recommendations across the armed forces and wider society to meet this threat. The government has pledged to implement all those recommendations. However, critics question where the resources to meet the requirements of the SDR will come from, despite government pledges to raise defence spending levels.
The Chagos Archipelago has been the subject of a long-standing dispute over its sovereignty between the UK and Mauritius. Having been retained by the UK since 1965, the largest island, Diego Garcia, later became the site of a joint UK-US military base. In May 2025, the UK reached an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands back to Mauritius, while maintaining an initial 99-year lease of Diego Garcia. The agreement also includes security and financial provisions.
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, events which in 1945 brought an end to the second world war. On those days 80 years ago, celebrations erupted across Britain. However, world leaders and domestic politicians were aware of the numerous problems still to be tackled, such as reconstruction, demobilisation and the legacy of the development and use of the atomic bomb.
