When Washington, D.C., last hosted a NATO summit in 1999, the alliance was celebrating a milestone. It was also facing a war in Europe and welcoming new members to the alliance.

So there will be a certain feeling of déjà vu in the American capital when leaders from 32 nations meet starting July 9, 2024, to discuss the state of the alliance as it turns 75.

Yet the scale of the challenges that NATO faces today, both within and without the organization, dwarfs what it confronted as it commemorated its 50th anniversary in 1999. The war in Ukraine has now been raging on for more than two years. NATO also has to contemplate the rise of China and the challenges that brings to geopolitics. Meanwhile, various members of the alliance are also experiencing political challenges at home and consequential elections.

In particular, the upcoming U.S. presidential election looms large for NATO. Republican candidate Donald Trump has been quick to express his displeasure with the alliance. And close advisers suggest that he is serious about possibly trying to withdraw the U.S. from NATO if he is elected president again.

Other issues on the NATO summit’s agenda include the development of a new southern flank strategy to confront growing security challenges in the Middle East and North Africa and the introduction of a new secretary general, Mark Rutte.

But it’s the following four topics that will likely dominate discussions in Washington from July 9 to July 11. How the alliance tackles them will go some way in signaling the health of NATO as it turns 75 – and the future direction of the alliance.

NATO first expressed its support for Ukraine’s joining the alliance in 2008 but offered no timeline for moving forward. That state of limbo has continued to........

© The Conversation