London Conference 2026: The Alliance after Ankara: Is NATO dead?

Just the day after the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, the first session of Chatham House’s 2026 London Conference addressed the future of alliance.

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Published 14 July 2026 — 50 minute watch

Event video

— Just the day after the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, the first session of Chatham House's 2026 London Conference addressed the future of alliance.

The panel, hosted by Marion Messmer, the director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House, explored the following questions:

  • Can NATO survive without the US?
  • Has US pressure on allies to increase defence spending started to yield results?
  • How do governments avoid procurement mistakes of the past?
  • What war and conflict are governments rearming for? What are the most acute threats?  

Speakers:
General Sir Richard Barrons, Senior Consulting Fellow, International Security Programme, Chatham House
Paul Livingston, Chief Executive UK & NATO, Lockheed Martin
Kajsa Ollongren, Former Defence Minister, Kingdom of the Netherlands; Associate Fellow, Europe Programme, Chatham House
The Rt Hon Lord George Robertson of Port Ellen, Distinguished Fellow, Chatham House; Chair, International Relations and Defence Committee, House of Lords 
Chair: Marion Messmer, Director, International Security Programme, Chatham House 

To learn more about NATO and the key takeaways from the Ankara summit, register for our upcoming event, ‘Perspectives on Ankara: The security and defence implications of the NATO Summit’