Last Updated on April 4, 2026 by allieddispatch | Published: March 26, 2026
By Allied Dispatch UK
NATO News | Annual Report
NATO today released its 2025 Annual Report, which sets out how the Alliance is adapting to a more uncertain and demanding security environment.
Led by Secretary General Mark Rutte, the report shows a clear shift: NATO is moving away from reacting to crises and towards being ready at all times.
Russia remains the main focus, but wider global tensions and new types of threats are also shaping how NATO operates.
One of the biggest changes is how much countries are now spending on defence.
- All NATO members are now meeting the 2% of GDP target
- European countries and Canada are spending more than in previous years
- There are already discussions about increasing spending even further
In simple terms, NATO countries are putting more money into their armed forces after years of lower investment.
Supporting Ukraine is still a major priority.NATO helps by:
- Coordinating military aid from member countries
- Supporting training for Ukrainian forces
- Strengthening long-term cooperation
NATO itself is not fighting in the war, but it plays a key role in organising and supporting international help.
NATO is also strengthening its military position across Europe.
This includes:
- More troops ready to deploy quickly
- Increased presence in Eastern Europe
- Larger and more regular military exercises
The focus is on being able to respond quickly if needed, rather than preparing slowly after a crisis begins.
The report also highlights that defence is changing.
NATO is now focusing more on:
- Cyber attacks
- Protecting critical infrastructure (like energy and communications)
- New technologies
This reflects a wider view of security—where threats are not just military, but also digital and economic.
Overall, NATO is moving towards a model where it is always prepared, rather than waiting for a crisis to act. And in today’s security environment, that level of readiness is becoming the baseline rather than the exception.
If you’d like to read the full report, it’s available here.
Allied Dispatch UK Viewpoint
At Allied Dispatch UK, we see the 2025 Annual Report as the definitive milestone marking the road towards a lessening of European military dependence on the United States. While the 5% target sounds ambitious, the fact that even long-term laggards like Canada and Belgium have finally cleared the 2% hurdle shows that the “security mindset” has fundamentally changed.