The summit in Chicago discussed the impact events such as the Arab Spring, 2011 Libyan Civil War, as well as the 2007–2008 financial crisis, and transition for NATO forces in Afghanistan, and a missile shield system for Europe[4] to seek routes out.

[10] Russia has requested that the NATO countries declare "adherence to the rules of international law" in the nuclear policy they agree upon at the Chicago summit.

The Afghanistan issue in particular faces a public relations timeline due to a declaration by Barack Obama that NATO activities in Afghanistan would be concluded by 2014,[15] but 28-nation military bloc was clearly divided, as the new French President, Francois Hollande, indicated that he will pull out all 3,400 French troops at the end of 2012 or 2 years ahead of NATO's timetable.

[24] This was confirmed by a report of the Los Angeles Times which stated that according to British Prime Minister David Cameron, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Estonia and others had made pledges that added "almost" $1 billion.

[25] However, these figures changed later as in June 2012 news media like The Globe and Mail,[26] The Herald Sun,[27] Al Jazeera English,[28] The Washington Post,[29] Shanghai Daily[30] and BBC News Online[31] published that at the NATO Chicago summit an annual aid of 4.1 billion U.S. dollars was pledged to pay for ongoing training, equipment and financial support for Afghanistan's security forces after 2014.

These projects cover the funding for remotely controlled robots used to clear roads of homemade bombs or mines, the creation of a pool of maritime patrol planes from a number of nations, the creation of a joint management of munitions for buying and storage of munitions, maintenance of armored vehicles, sharing of medical facilities, common management of fuel handling, cooperation in the use of surveillance aircraft with joint training for intelligence specialists and purchase of Global Hawk surveillance drones operated by NATO in the name of all its member states.

[40] The United States, which contributes three-quarters to NATO's operating budget, is experiencing severe budgetary problems while simultaneously re-balancing military commitments to the Pacific, further straining the Atlantic alliance.

"Current projections show the U.S. defense budget shrinking by $487 billion in the decade to come, with another half trillion in cuts possible depending on the outcome of the highly partisan negotiations over future reductions to the federal deficit.

"[41] Because Europe is not experiencing an existential threat like it did during the Cold War, the preponderance of U.S. assets for military campaigns that do not fall under Article 5 will diminish.

Francois Heisburg, chairman of The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy says that governments typically choose "jobs in defense companies at home over [the] military logic" of pooling resources.

[45] It also means that US ships with anti-missile interceptors in the Mediterranean Sea and a Turkey-based radar system have been put under NATO command in the German base.

[32][46] "Our system will link together missile defence assets from different Allies – satellites, ships, radars and interceptors – under NATO command and control.

Each veteran expressed their reasons for leaving the army and their experiences in the wars as they hurled their medals in the direction of where the summit was taking place.

[49][50] The three women are Toronto and U.S. based-activists who consulted with organizers during the planning of the protests and collaborated with the soldiers and veterans on how best to conduct the medal ceremony so as to respect the victims of the wars.

Alderman Rick Munoz had proposed legislation for the City Council that prohibits police from interfering with online media and cell phones during the event.

[58][59] The Chicago Police Department also prepared its mounted unit with riot gear: armor for horses along with "crowd control training".

[67] Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, contends the modification can somehow be used against protesters and has argued that this law only plays a small part in a larger campaign against free speech.

In a series of letters, the city formally requested that units of the state and federal governments and World Business Chicago, the public/private group that served as the summit host committee, reimburse it for $15,578,267.33 in expenses.