The Ukraine war and the need to rethink priorities will inevitably influence the ongoing debate about NATO’s future role in its southern neighborhood. There is little doubt that the next strategic concept will confirm the growing prominence of the eastern flank and include a de facto prioritization of collective defense over crisis management and collective security. In the meantime, allies have experienced “intervention fatigue”—as seen in Afghanistan—which is accelerating a transition toward a more indirect approach to projecting stability.
Explained: How Russian Ukrainian War Will Change NATO’s Priorities?