► The Vilnius Summit’s focus was simple, but its rationales and consequences reach a wide range of global security dimensions, issues, and regions, changing the fundamental security landscape at every level of analysis. ►  For the first time, the Summit Communiqué confirmed this strategic trend; “The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO, given that developments in that region can directly af...

► Do symptoms of contestation of the international order necessarily call for a “global” answer - likely to alienate the Global South – and how can a global security architecture adapt to local threats (such as grey zone situations and those intertwined in regional politics)? ► The Asian partners have to be clear-eyed about the fact that, rather than proving an avenue for more defense cooperati...

► The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit that took place in Vilnius, Lithuania addressed several important issues that could shape the diplomatic and political landscape of Europe going forward. ► First, Turkiye's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, gave his final approval to Sweden's NATO membership. Second, at the NATO summit, the 32 member states agreed to develop a collective...

► Now that all NATO members are on board with the expansion, the alliance gains additional strength both externally and internally, and this unity was on display in Vilnius. ► Although the strengthening of NATO and its commitment of continued support for Ukraine can be viewed as a positive outcome from the standpoint of Ukraine’s fight against Russia, the summit did not lead to one tangible promise that Ukra...

► President Yoon’s visits to Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine seem to be a case of putting all his eggs into one basket as debates arise concerning ROK's role internationally as well as domestically.  ► ROK has agreed to increase information sharing by joining NATO’s Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System (BICES), institutionalize cooperation with NATO throug...

►  The NATO Vilnius Summit tested the alliance with the matter of how far the United States and its allies were in favour of offering Kyiv NATO membership now, all while it continues to fight and repel Russian forces. The answer to rapid membership: not quite yet Ukraine. ►Among the negative arguments, many argue that Ukraine cannot become a NATO member while it is still at war with R...

► While not new, relations between NATO and its partners have taken on greater salience in the past few years in the context of strategic challenges posed by a more assertive China, the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and new challenges in realms such as cyber, space, and emerging and disruptive technologies. ► The presence of the Indo-Pacific partners at Vilnius is highly symbolic. It highlights lin...

► There are three major issues on the Vilnius Summit agenda – new defence plans, spending commitments and Ukraine’s path to NATO membership – that are of vital importance for NATO’s ability to manage the Russian threat in the years and decades to come. ► As the summit takes place at the time of an epochal shift for not only European, but also international security, the significance of the Vilnius Summ...