
BRUSSELS, Belgium. This week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hosted Allied Defence Ministers in Brussels, Belgium, ahead of the 75th Anniversary Washington Summit. These national leaders in defence outlined the Alliance’s significant progress on two key issues: long-term support for Ukraine and strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence.
Enhanced Long-Term Support for Ukraine
A new plan establishes NATO as the leader in coordinating security assistance and training for Ukraine. This initiative, set to be launched by NATO leaders at the upcoming Washington Summit in July, will provide long-term stability for Ukrainian support.
A dedicated NATO command, headquartered at a U.S. facility in Wiesbaden, Germany, will oversee the effort. Logistical nodes in Eastern Europe will further support the program, led by a 3-star general under the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. The entire operation is expected to involve nearly 700 personnel from NATO and partner nations.
NATO’s role will encompass training Ukrainian forces, coordinating equipment donations, managing equipment transfers and repairs, and supporting the long-term development of Ukraine’s military.
“These efforts do not make NATO a party to the conflict, but they will enhance our support to Ukraine to uphold its right to self-defence.” – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
Strengthening Alliance Defences
Building upon the comprehensive defence plans established at the Vilnius Summit, NATO’s military planners are actively translating them into concrete actions. This involves identifying the necessary forces and capabilities required for effective deterrence and defence against global threats, including Russia.
“Allies are offering forces to NATO’s command at a scale not seen in decades […] The growing threats we face demand significantly increased capability requirements from Allies.” – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
Stoltenberg emphasized the need for these enhanced capabilities across various areas, including weapons and ammunition, air and missile defence, logistics, and long-range weapons. He cited a planned acquisition of thousands of air defence and artillery systems, along with 850 modern aircraft – primarily the 5th generation F-35s – across Europe and Canada over the next five years.
Investment in innovation also remains a priority, with over $1 billion dedicated to the NATO Innovation Fund. Additionally, a new Defence Industrial Pledge, expected to be endorsed at the July Summit, aims to signal long-term demand to industry. This, in turn, will facilitate production scaling and the development of a fit-for-purpose defence-industrial base.
As the Alliance’s Warfare Development Command, Allied Command Transformation is committed to supporting the development and delivery of the defensive and deterrent capabilities required by NATO to maintain a decisive advantage over its adversaries. One recent example of this was the NATO Innovation Challenge hosted by Allied Command Transformation. The Spring edition of this competition series invited participants to design unique solutions to address remote mine-clearance operations. The topic is of particular importance to Ukraine as it is now one of the world’s most heavily mined countries due to Russia’s unprovoked invasion. Estimates suggest that landmines now contaminate a staggering third of Ukrainian territory.
This recent NATO Defence Ministers Meeting decisively outlined long-term support for Ukraine from NATO members and plans to significantly enhance the Alliance’s collective defences. With concrete plans in place and member states demonstrating renewed commitment, NATO is robustly preparing to confront evolving security challenges.