A revealing look at differing threat perceptions in six key NATO countries
When Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, analysts and policymakers highlighted the unifying shock that NATO members experienced. However even before the return of US president Donald Trump, beneath this seeming cohesion lay deep-seated differences in how member states perceive and prioritize security threats.
NATO after Russia's Invasion of Ukraine analyzes the six most influential members of the alliance: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, and Italy. Through extensive interviews with current and former policymakers and a detailed examination of public statements and policies, Jason W. Davidson delivers a unique assessment of how divergent threat perceptions influence the NATO allies' major defense decisions, such as defense spending, and whether the alliance addresses each ally's most important threat and its view of NATO's most important challenges. With the rise in tumultuous geopolitical challenges posed by Russia, China, terrorism, mass refugee flows, and nationalism, this book provides the crucial context needed to navigate NATO's evolving role in international security.
Davidson provides vital insights for anyone seeking to understand the complex dynamics shaping the future of NATO and transatlantic security. Policy professionals will find actionable intelligence, while scholars and students of international relations and political science will appreciate its rigorous analysis and extensive primary research.
Reviews
"The war in Ukraine is widely assumed to have revitalized NATO and brought back a shared sense of common purpose between member states. Davidson's book effectively demolishes that common assumption and instead provides a nuanced, thorough, and thoughtful overview of the divergent threat perceptions and military preparations of the alliance's most important members."—Emma Ashford, senior fellow, Stimson Center, and columnist, Foreign Policy
"A clear-eyed assessment of the viability of the Atlantic Alliance as the Ukraine war grinds on and a NATO-sceptic Donald Trump re-enters the White House. With a fresh take on the perennial issues of burden-sharing, free riding, strategic coherence, and transatlantic tensions, there is no better book at present to guide the reader through the thorny matter of NATO's ongoing struggle for relevance."—Mark Webber, professor of international politics, University of Birmingham
"A must read for anyone interested in NATO and the transatlantic alliance. This book is exceptionally written and engaging, making it a great read for experts and nonexperts alike. Davidson's study challenges the utility of pushing one-size-fits-all approaches across the alliance, particularly on spending. This is a book that should be consumed by transatlantic scholars and policymakers, as well as those new to the subject simply seeking to understand the current dynamics of European security."—Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
About the Author
Jason W. Davidson is professor in the Department of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington and a nonresident senior fellow in the Transatlantic Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center. His published works include America's Entangling Alliances: 1778 to the Present and America's Allies and War: Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
