Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally changed the security environment in Europe. Given the long-term threat posed by Russia, the significance of national and collective defence has once again increased substantially, including for the security of NATO Allies. Germany’s security is indivisible from that of its fellow Allies. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the key pillar for Euro-Atlantic security and the world’s most important security alliance. European Allies and Canada are taking on ever more responsibility within NATO: they have significantly increased their defence expenditure in recent years and are making available more military capabilities for collective security.

NATO’s Strategic Concept: Collective defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security

NATO’s three core tasks are collective defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security. They are anchored in NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept, which, after the North Atlantic Treaty, is the prime document the Alliance uses to define its policies, military capabilities and operational action.

Collective defence lies at the heart of the Alliance: This means that NATO members protect each other in the case of an external attack. Collective defence is also vital as it deters potential attackers, so that an attack is not carried out in the first place. To this end, NATO has nuclear, conventional and missile defence capabilities, which are backed up by space and cyber capabilities. These capabilities are defensive in nature, proportionate, and in line with NATO member countries’ international obligations.

Within the scope of crisis prevention and management, NATO Allies work to promote stability and conflict management. The aim is to prevent crises that could adversely affect Allies’ security and to respond to such crises. One example is the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI), in which the Alliance supports the Iraqi Government in furthering stability and improving security in the country.

The third task, cooperative security, describes the Alliance’s cooperation with non‑NATO countries. This cooperation also strengthens international security and stability. It is conducted in the form of both political dialogue and practical cooperation. A particular emphasis here is on the European Union (EU), as it is a unique and indispensable partner for NATO.