eaders arriving in The Hague for the 2025 NATO Summit face unprecedented challenges that demand a bold and strategic vision for the alliance's future. Today’s security landscape has evolved in complex ways: Russia’s war in Ukraine, uneven NATO member spending, and the U.S.’s shift to a more transactional approach to foreign policy under President Trump. Emerging technologies are also transforming modern warfare, while geopolitical shifts have redirected the U.S.'s attention toward China, the Middle East, and homeland defense. Moreover, rising strategic autonomy across the Global South, evident in many nations' refusal to join NATO–led sanctions against Russia, has further challenged notions of Western influence in the rest of the world.
The changing nature of security challenges today mean military might alone won’t sustain NATO's existence for the next 75 years. Younger generations—millennials and Gen Z—lack Cold War memories and need clear reasons to support NATO’s priorities. NATO has successfully carried out its core missions for decades and been a force for global security, but must clearly connect these achievements to the concerns of younger generations to win their support. It’s a challenge, with younger people being largely preoccupied with economic instability, political polarization, and the disruptive impact of technology than with traditional military threats of the past.
NATO has begun addressing demographic shifts through youth initiatives like the NATO Young Leaders Summit. These efforts promote core NATO values—individual liberty, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law—and address topics like climate change and human security. This type of work must continue. Since 1965, the U.S.’s racial demographics have also transformed: European immigration declined while Latin American, Asian, and African immigration increased. Heritage alone no longer suffices to bind the U.S. and Europe. Similarly, post–war migration has reshaped the racial and ethnic landscapes of Allied countries like France, Germany, and the UK. Outreach across NATO countries, therefore, must continue emphasizing these shared values as a unifier among diverse publics.
NATO’s long–term success requires targeted communication reaching younger, more diverse audiences living beyond capitals across the Euro–Atlantic. The alliance must demonstrate how democratic values, human security, and collective defense interconnect in a new era of strategic competition. Only by convincing these publics that increased defense spending serves broader human flourishing can NATO secure the domestic support necessary for the long-term sustainability of one of the world's most successful military alliances. Military preparedness and public legitimacy are not competing priorities—they are complementary imperatives for a military alliance determined to thrive in a multipolar world.
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NATO’s long–term success requires buy–in from younger generations
Image by Topi Puolakangas from Pixabay
June 24, 2025
The changing nature of security challenges today mean military might alone won’t sustain NATO's existence for the next 75 years. Sustaining NATO into the future requires winning the support of younger generations, writes Laura Kupe.
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eaders arriving in The Hague for the 2025 NATO Summit face unprecedented challenges that demand a bold and strategic vision for the alliance's future. Today’s security landscape has evolved in complex ways: Russia’s war in Ukraine, uneven NATO member spending, and the U.S.’s shift to a more transactional approach to foreign policy under President Trump. Emerging technologies are also transforming modern warfare, while geopolitical shifts have redirected the U.S.'s attention toward China, the Middle East, and homeland defense. Moreover, rising strategic autonomy across the Global South, evident in many nations' refusal to join NATO–led sanctions against Russia, has further challenged notions of Western influence in the rest of the world.
The changing nature of security challenges today mean military might alone won’t sustain NATO's existence for the next 75 years. Younger generations—millennials and Gen Z—lack Cold War memories and need clear reasons to support NATO’s priorities. NATO has successfully carried out its core missions for decades and been a force for global security, but must clearly connect these achievements to the concerns of younger generations to win their support. It’s a challenge, with younger people being largely preoccupied with economic instability, political polarization, and the disruptive impact of technology than with traditional military threats of the past.
NATO has begun addressing demographic shifts through youth initiatives like the NATO Young Leaders Summit. These efforts promote core NATO values—individual liberty, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law—and address topics like climate change and human security. This type of work must continue. Since 1965, the U.S.’s racial demographics have also transformed: European immigration declined while Latin American, Asian, and African immigration increased. Heritage alone no longer suffices to bind the U.S. and Europe. Similarly, post–war migration has reshaped the racial and ethnic landscapes of Allied countries like France, Germany, and the UK. Outreach across NATO countries, therefore, must continue emphasizing these shared values as a unifier among diverse publics.
NATO’s long–term success requires targeted communication reaching younger, more diverse audiences living beyond capitals across the Euro–Atlantic. The alliance must demonstrate how democratic values, human security, and collective defense interconnect in a new era of strategic competition. Only by convincing these publics that increased defense spending serves broader human flourishing can NATO secure the domestic support necessary for the long-term sustainability of one of the world's most successful military alliances. Military preparedness and public legitimacy are not competing priorities—they are complementary imperatives for a military alliance determined to thrive in a multipolar world.
