NATO Foreign Ministers will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (3 and 4 April) to continue planning for the forthcoming Summit in The Hague and discuss urgent security issues.
Addressing media ahead of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted increased defence investment as a key agenda item and critical to the Alliance's future success. "We will focus on strengthening our collective defence" he said, emphasising that "it is the foundation on which NATO was built, and it remains our number one priority."
On the third anniversary of Russia's brutal actions in Bucha and ahead of the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting on Thursday evening, Mr Rutte paid tribute to the victims and survivors. He commended Allied efforts to bring a just and lasting end to the war and underscored NATO's enduring commitment to Ukraine with the announcement of more than 20 billion euros in security assistance - pledged by Allies - so far this year.
The Secretary General also acknowledged that global threats are creating a more dangerous world. "In the face of these and other challenges, we must build a stronger, a fairer and more lethal NATO," he affirmed, going on to praise NATO's partners for making essential contributions to our shared security. Mr Rutte noted that NATO Ministers would meet with NATO's Indo-Pacific partners on Thursday afternoon, with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the EU High Representative Kaja Kallas in the NATO-Ukraine Council Thursday evening, and in a dedicated session with the EU High Representative on Friday.
