Secretary General reaffirms security through strength and support to Ukraine, as NATO Foreign Ministers lay groundwork for The Hague Summit

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NATO Foreign Ministers wrapped up two days of meetings in Brussels on Friday (4 April 2025), focusing on preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, defence investment, burden sharing, Allied support to Ukraine, and cooperation with partners.

On the anniversary of the foundation of the Alliance, the Secretary General said that “as the world grows more dangerous,” the need for NATO has never been greater: “And we are united in our commitment to each other in this Alliance.”

On Thursday, Mr Rutte commended “the biggest increase in defence spending on the European side of NATO since the end of the Cold War.” He welcomed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to his first ministerial, thanking him for his tireless diplomacy and support for NATO. The North Atlantic Council then met for a working lunch, focused on defence investment and preparations for the Summit in The Hague.

This was followed by a meeting with partners from the Indo-Pacific; Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand. “The security of the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic is more connected than ever before. The war in Ukraine is but one example of this as China, North Korea, and Iran continue to support Russia’s war machine,” said Mr Rutte. “This poses risks to us all.”

On Thursday evening, ministers met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, in the NATO-Ukraine Council format, where they were also joined by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. “We have to make sure that whenever a ceasefire or a peace deal is reached, that it is enduring, that it is lasting,” Secretary General Rutte said. He reaffirmed NATO’s support for Ukraine, and welcomed that Allies have pledged more than 20 billion euros in military assistance in the first quarter of 2025.

The ministerial concluded on Friday morning with a meeting of the North Atlantic Council with the High Representative Kallas where they discussed NATO-EU cooperation, building defence industrial capacity, the situation in the Western Balkans, and support for Ukraine.

The Secretary General concluded his press conference on Friday by underlining that NATO remains the cornerstone of transatlantic security and global stability: “Through the years, working together, Allies have delivered security through strength. From all I heard during the last two days, we are well on track to continue delivering well into the future.”