Publication

This policy brief reflects on the NATO Summit in Chicago, which mainly concerned the collective defense capabilities of the alliance and the end of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan. The author argues that the concept of Smart Defense is a compelling idea given the economic climate, but implementation challenges remain. NATO allies demonstrated a unified front on nuclear capabilities and missile defense, though political controversies are bound to resurface. What the Chicago Summit highlighted was the extent to which NATO has come to be defined by the missions it undertakes and the coalition of states that choose to participate.