This article seeks to dissect the contemporary developments surrounding the concept of ‘strategic competition’ by examining the outcomes of two successive NATO summits in Madrid and Vilnius. During these summits, the Allies not only exhibited a unified front in their support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russia but also reaffirmed their commitment to honour mutual defence guarantees should the Alliance itself come under attack. This article delves deeper into the evolution of the concept of strategic competition following the Madrid and Vilnius summits, where the Allies sought to formulate effective responses to the turmoil wrought by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.