A draft declaration prepared ahead of the upcoming NATO summit identifies the Russian Federation as a “threat” to Euro-Atlantic security, according to Western diplomatic sources and media reports.
The document, expected to be finalized at the alliance’s meeting in The Hague later this month, reflects a consensus among NATO member states that Russia poses a long-term and systemic danger to the collective defense of North American and European nations. While the draft does not explicitly refer to Russia as the aggressor in its ongoing war against Ukraine, it marks a continuation of the alliance’s strategic shift since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
According to officials familiar with the document, the draft text recognizes “Russia as a threat to Euro-Atlantic security.” This language builds on the terminology adopted at the 2022 Madrid Summit, where Russia was labeled a “direct threat.” The current draft is understood to reaffirm and sharpen that assessment without introducing new legal designations or obligations.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, speaking in advance of the summit, emphasized that member nations must accelerate preparedness. “The threat from Russia is real, and our response must match the scale and speed required to defend every inch of allied territory,” he stated during a recent briefing in Brussels.
The draft declaration also includes proposed increases to defense spending targets. Sources indicate the alliance may set new minimums of 3.5% of GDP for military investment and an additional 1.5% for civil and critical infrastructure resilience—effectively moving toward the 5% goal that has been discussed in U.S. and U.K. defense circles.
These targets, while not yet binding, are seen as a response to repeated calls from Washington for European members to assume greater financial responsibility for NATO’s collective security. The proposals are expected to be debated further during the summit’s working sessions.
The updated threat assessment and potential spending commitments come amid heightened tensions between NATO and the Kremlin. Russian officials have criticized the alliance’s actions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the draft declaration as “provocative” and claimed the financial demands placed on European countries were “unsustainable and dangerous.”
Despite these objections, the majority of NATO members appear united in their support for the document’s direction. U.S. officials have publicly and privately endorsed a firmer stance, citing both strategic necessity and the need to deter further aggression beyond Ukraine’s borders.
The final text of the declaration is expected to be adopted by heads of state and government during the NATO Summit scheduled for June 24–25 in The Hague. While language may still be revised in the coming days, observers do not anticipate significant changes to the core formulation identifying Russia as a threat.
In the lead-up to the summit, alliance leaders are also expected to finalize plans for rapid deployment forces, cyber-defense coordination, and expanded military presence along NATO’s eastern flank.
Background
Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO has substantially increased its military readiness and reinforced its eastern borders. The current draft reflects an understanding that the security environment in Europe has fundamentally changed, requiring long-term structural adjustments to alliance posture and budgeting.
