On March 16, 2021, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg released his annual report, which provides a comprehensive overview of the Alliance’s activities in 2020. Although the year was marked by numerous challenges—chief among them the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely affected the populations of NATO member states—2020 can be described as a “year of preparation” in anticipation of the transformations ahead.
In this assessment, we review the key developments of that year, with particular emphasis on elements related to the preparation of the new Strategic Concept, the response to the pandemic, and defense spending aimed at strengthening military capabilities.
