Press conference kicks off NATO Parliamentary Assembly
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — U.S. Rep. Mike Turner and Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims are among the officials who spoke this afternoon as the NATO Parliamentary Assembly 2025 Spring Session began.
Why is NATO coming to Dayton?
Running May 22-26, the summit is expected to bring more than 1,000 people to the Gem City.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly was created in 1955 to serve as a link between the 32 member nations of NATO, which stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Delegates meet in different locations throughout the world to conduct their work a few times each year. The last time America hosted was over 20 years ago in Florida in 2003.
Watch the full press conference in the video player above.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Senior German Social Democrat insists no compulsory military draft
There are no talks planned between Germany's coalition parties on reintroducing compulsory military service despite the moves to strengthen the armed forces, according to a senior member of parliament. "The coalition agreement clearly states that we are in favour of voluntary service," Matthias Miersch, the leader of the Social Democrats (SDP) parliamentary group - the junior partner in the conservative-led government - told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper. "We can negotiate compulsory military service in the next legislative period if necessary, but not in this one," he added in remarks published on Saturday, referring to the tenure of the current parliament which is due to run until 2029. Miersch said the goal of 60,000 additional soldiers, cited by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, is achievable only in the medium term: "At the moment, there is not nearly enough training capacity available." Military service was mandatory for Germany men from 1956 to 2011, with the possibility of doing civilian service instead on grounds of conscientious objection. However, due to the Ukraine war and the perceived increased Russian threat to Europe, there has been discussion of reintroducing the draft as in some EU states, such as Lithuania in 2015 and Croatia wich is planning to do so this year. It comes amid a broader rearmament effort among European nations. Pistorius, also from the SPD, has said that another 60,000 troops would be needed in Germany's active forces for NATO's planning targets for increased defence capability. The new parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces, Henning Otte, who like Chancellor Friedrich Merz comes from the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), has floated the idea of renewed conscription to prevent the Bundeswehr – Germany's military - from being overstretched. As the new commissioner, Otte told reporters that he intended to "put this on my agenda again this year."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Baltic states issue statement backing Ukraine's EU, NATO membership
The parliamentary foreign affairs committees of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issued a joint statement on June 6, affirming their firm support for Ukraine both in its defense against Russia and in its pursuit of EU and NATO membership. Following their meeting in Lithuania on June 6, the Baltic states reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine's EU integration, stating their goal of concluding accession talks and welcoming Ukraine as a full EU member by Jan. 1, 2030. Ukraine applied for EU membership in 2022 and was granted candidate status within months. Accession talks began in June 2024, with European leaders setting 2030 as a target for Ukraine's potential accession. Despite broad EU support for Ukraine's accession, Hungary remains a major obstacle. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on March 7 that his government would conduct an opinion survey on Ukraine's potential EU membership. In their statement, the Baltic states also urged the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague to take "concrete political steps" toward Ukraine's membership in the alliance. They argued that Ukraine's NATO accession would 'consolidate a just and lasting peace not only in Ukraine but also in all of Europe" and help uphold the rules-based international order globally. "Ukraine's NATO membership would provide a more effective and enduring framework for safeguarding Euro-Atlantic security," the statement reads. Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, months after the outbreak of the full-scale war. The country has not received a formal invitation, as the 32 members have not reached a consensus. The statement also reaffirmed the Baltic countries' pledge to support Ukraine 'until its full victory,' and welcomed expanding defense cooperation between Ukraine and like-minded partners. It encouraged inviting Ukraine to join the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), calling it a meaningful step toward deeper regional security integration. "We call upon the Foreign Affairs Committees of other national parliaments, international parliamentary assemblies, governments, and responsible institutions to endorse this statement and to adopt corresponding actions that would ensure continued and determined support for Ukraine's victory, reconstruction, and full integration into the Euro-Atlantic community," the statement read. Read also: Nordics, Baltics urge concrete steps toward Ukraine's EU membership We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Baltic states issue statement supporting Ukraine's membership in EU and NATO
The foreign affairs committees of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have issued a joint statement expressing their full support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, as well as for its membership in the European Union and NATO. Source: Žygis Pavilionis, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament, on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda Details: The committee meeting took place on Friday 6 June, in Birstonas, Lithuania. In the final document, the parties confirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and stressed that Ukraine's victory over Russia and its accession to NATO are key conditions for a just and lasting peace in Europe. They also noted that Ukraine's membership in NATO would provide a solid foundation for Euro-Atlantic security and stressed that Russia's full-scale war is a gross violation of international law, the UN Charter and basic human rights norms. To quote the countries' statement and five key commitments they declared: To support Ukraine until its full victory, including the liberation of all temporarily occupied territories, accountability for war crimes, and full implementation of international justice; To support Ukraine's membership in the European Union, with the goal of concluding accession negotiations and welcoming Ukraine as a full member of the European Union by 1 January 2030; To support Ukraine's path towards NATO membership, in line with the decisions of the Bucharest (2008), Vilnius (2023), and Washington (2024) NATO Summits, which clearly affirmed that Ukraine's future is in NATO. We call on the upcoming 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague to take concrete political steps that would pave the way for Ukraine's accession to the Alliance; To welcome the growing practical defence cooperation between Ukraine and likeminded partners and to encourage an invitation for Ukraine to join the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) as a meaningful step towards deeper regional security integration; To continue diplomatic and political efforts to isolate russia [the name of the aggressor country was deliberately written with a lowercase letter – ed.] and its supporters in the war within international organisations, to expand and tighten sanctions regimes, and to ensure full legal and political accountability for the crimes committed against Ukraine. The committees of the three countries also called on other parliaments, international institutions and governments to support this statement and take appropriate steps towards Ukraine's victory, its reconstruction and full integration into the Euro-Atlantic community. Background: A NATO summit will be held in The Hague at the end of June. As European Pravda reported earlier, NATO leaders are preparing to adopt a decision to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, part of which will be allowed to support Ukraine. This could significantly strengthen the defence capabilities of the Ukrainian defence forces. The new spending target is expected to be divided as follows: 3.5% of GDP for direct military needs and another 1.5% for broader security projects, including infrastructure. Some NATO countries, such as Canada and Luxembourg, may use aid to Ukraine as part of their new commitments to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!