The alliance's chance to regroup in a world of flashpoints

When the British government offered to host the NATO summit in Wales on September 4-5, few foresaw that this would be a defining moment in the history of the Atlantic Alliance. A summit that was expected to reflect upon NATO’s role after withdrawal from Afghanistan must now offer a decisive response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, while preparing to confront a more dangerous and unstable world from the Middle East to the South China Sea. NATO members must also ensure that they have the resources and the public support to make a reassertion of their alliance’s strategic purpose meaningful. Drawing these threads together will be difficult.