NATO Secretary General previews defence ministers’ meeting: Building a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO

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On Wednesday (17 June 2026), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte set out the priorities for Thursday’s meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels. “Allies will demonstrate progress on building a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO. We need more forces, more resources and a much stronger industrial base. That means making steady increases to defence investment and more fairly sharing responsibility for our collective security,” said Mr. Rutte.

He highlighted the massive increase in defence investment in 2025, with European Allies and Canada increasing their core defence investment by over 90 billion dollars. “That is an astounding figure, amounting to a nearly 20% increase in a single year, with further increases already on the books for 2026,” the Secretary General added.

On Thursday, a meeting of NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group will be held with the Allies involved, followed by a session of the North Atlantic Council which will include discussions on preparations for the NATO Summit in Ankara. There will also be a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, co-chaired by Germany and the United Kingdom.

The Secretary General explained that while the United States is adjusting its contributions to the NATO Force Model, the US has made clear that it is committed to NATO. “Now the US has adjusted its pledged contributions – and other Allies have stepped up to contribute more,“ he said, “And this is fair. This makes us stronger, and this is what NATO 3.0 is all about. A stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.”

On defence production, Mr. Rutte stressed NATO’s dedication to harnessing the power of innovation. “We are working hand-in-hand with industry to ensure that supply meets demand, and so that this Alliance maintains its cutting edge,” he said. Mr Rutte was clear that maintaining support for Ukraine remains a priority. “Together, Allies have given billions in artillery, ammunition and aid, but it is crucial to continue this support to help Ukraine maintain its advantage,” he said.

The Secretary General welcomed the deal made by President Trump with Iran. The US action to prevent the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran and degrade its ballistic missile capability improves security for us all,” he said, “The restoration of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be a massive step forward.”