Latest news with #NATO-UkraineCouncil
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NATO leaders propose 5% defense investment by member states
June 5 (UPI) -- NATO defense ministers are proposing a 5% annual investment in defense spending by member nations to enhance defensive capabilities during a meeting in Brussels on Thursday. The proposed defense investment plan would require member nations to invest 5% of their respective gross domestic products in defense, NATO officials announced. The change would make NATO a "stronger, fairer, more lethal alliance and ensure warfighting readiness for years to come," according to NATO. The ministers' plan describes "exactly what capabilities allies need to invest over their coming years ... to keep our deterrence and defense strong and our one billion people safe," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said. U.S. supports increased NATO member spending Many NATO members currently spend about 2% of their respective GDPs, which President Donald Trump has said is insufficient. The 5% defense investment by NATO member states is virtually assured, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told media upon arriving for Thursday's meeting. "We're here to continue the work that President Trump started, which is a commitment to 5% defense spending across this alliance, which we think will happen," Hegseth said. "There are a few countries that are not quite there yet," Hegseth added. "I won't name any names, [but] we will get them there." If approved during the upcoming NATO Summit, defense investments would require respective member nations to spend equal to 3.5% of GDP on core defense spending, plus 1.5% in annual defense and security investments, including infrastructure. The two-day NATO Summit is scheduled to start on June 24 at The Hague. Ukraine support and nuclear deterrence An ad hoc NATO-Ukraine Council also met and reaffirmed NATO's support of Ukraine and agreed that nuclear deterrence is its primary goal. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Minister Kaja Kallas joined the council to discuss support for Ukraine. Rutte said NATO allies have pledged nearly $23 billion in security assistance for Ukraine in 2025 and are focused on preventing the use of nuclear weapons by Russia and other nations. The final meeting of NATO ministers during the summit also affirmed the alliance's focus on nuclear deterrence. "Nuclear deterrence remains the cornerstone of alliance security," Rutte said. "We will ensure that NATO's nuclear capability remains strong and effective in order to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression." Trump nominates U.S. general for NATO commander Trump also nominated U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich to lead combined U.S. and NATO forces in Europe. If approved during the NATO Summit, Grynkewich would become NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command. Trump is scheduled to attend the NATO Summit. If approved by NATO member states, Grynkewich would replace current Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Chris Cavoli. Grynkewich is an experienced fighter pilot, and his nomination affirms that the United States would continue to emphasize defensive security for Europe. A U.S. officer has been NATO's supreme allied commander since Gen. Dwight Eisenhower first held the post in 1951.
UPI
4 days ago
- Business
- UPI
NATO leaders propose 5% defense investment by member states
June 5 (UPI) -- NATO defense ministers are proposing a 5% annual investment in defense spending by member nations to enhance defensive capabilities during a meeting in Brussels on Thursday. The proposed defense investment plan would require member nations to invest 5% of their respective gross domestic products in defense, NATO officials announced. The change would make NATO a "stronger, fairer, more lethal alliance and ensure warfighting readiness for years to come," according to NATO. The ministers' plan describes "exactly what capabilities allies need to invest over their coming years ... to keep our deterrence and defense strong and our one billion people safe," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said. U.S. supports increased NATO member spending Many NATO members currently spend about 2% of their respective GDPs, which President Donald Trump has said is insufficient. The 5% defense investment by NATO member states is virtually assured, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told media upon arriving for Thursday's meeting. "We're here to continue the work that President Trump started, which is a commitment to 5% defense spending across this alliance, which we think will happen," Hegseth said. "There are a few countries that are not quite there yet," Hegseth added. "I won't name any names, [but] we will get them there." If approved during the upcoming NATO Summit, defense investments would require respective member nations to spend equal to 3.5% of GDP on core defense spending, plus 1.5% in annual defense and security investments, including infrastructure. The two-day NATO Summit is scheduled to start on June 24 at The Hague. Ukraine support and nuclear deterrence An ad hoc NATO-Ukraine Council also met and reaffirmed NATO's support of Ukraine and agreed that nuclear deterrence is its primary goal. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Minister Kaja Kallas joined the council to discuss support for Ukraine. Rutte said NATO allies have pledged nearly $23 billion in security assistance for Ukraine in 2025 and are focused on preventing the use of nuclear weapons by Russia and other nations. The final meeting of NATO ministers during the summit also affirmed the alliance's focus on nuclear deterrence. "Nuclear deterrence remains the cornerstone of alliance security," Rutte said. "We will ensure that NATO's nuclear capability remains strong and effective in order to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression." Trump nominates U.S. general for NATO commander Trump also nominated U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich to lead combined U.S. and NATO forces in Europe. If approved during the NATO Summit, Grynkewich would become NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command. Trump is scheduled to attend the NATO Summit. If approved by NATO member states, Grynkewich would replace current Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Chris Cavoli. Grynkewich is an experienced fighter pilot, and his nomination affirms that the United States would continue to emphasize defensive security for Europe. A U.S. officer has been NATO's supreme allied commander since Gen. Dwight Eisenhower first held the post in 1951.
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Ukraine has dominated NATO summits since Russia's invasion. Not this time with Trump
BRUSSELS (AP) -- The war in Ukraine and the existential threat that Russia poses to European security has dominated NATO's agenda in each of the summits the military alliance has held since Moscow launched its invasion in 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sat at the head of NATO's table and been uniformly praised for his leadership. Ukraine's place within the ranks of the world's biggest military organization seemed assured once the war was over. But three weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts gather in the Netherlands, it remained unclear whether Zelenskyy would even get a seat, or how much support Ukraine might win in the final summit communique. Asked on Wednesday about Ukraine's role at the top-level meeting on June 24-25 in The Hague, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said only that it "will be discussed and on the agenda." Ahead of previous summits, NATO envoys have a labored to craft statements that encompass Ukraine's "irreversible path to membership," with enduring pledges of support, while insisting that Russia poses the greatest threat to NATO security. Asked whether Zelenskyy would be invited this time, Rutte said that the meeting program would be available soon. A NATO-Ukraine Council -- standard fare at recent summits -- will not be held, so it's unclear how he would take part if he was. Invited to comment on Ukraine's covert weekend drone attack in Russia -- described as the most significant of the war by some officers and experts -- Rutte said: "I take note," underlining only that the drones had hit military targets. Responding to a similar question on Wednesday, Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said: "This war needs to come to an end." He said Trump "feels very strongly about that" and sees no military solution to end the war. What is clear is that Trump will take center-stage in The Hague, along with his demand that all 32 NATO allies invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense. Zelenskyy should not be allowed to steal the limelight. "A new defence investment plan will be at the heart of the NATO summit in The Hague," said Rutte, speaking on the eve of a meeting of the organization's defense ministers at its Brussels headquarters. He said this should involve "a huge increase in defense spending to make sure that we can keep ourselves safe, not only now, but also in the future." Rutte said defense companies "need to know that we are spending more" so they will ramp up production. Whitaker said that the 5% target "is not going to be a pledge -- this is going to be a commitment." He said that the U.S. wants to see concrete plans, budgets and timelines from European allies and Canada on how they intend to get there. He told reporters that the defense industries of NATO allies "must outpace" Russia. He added: "We have no choice. Let me be clear: the time is now." NATO's members are weighing a demand from Rutte that they each spend 3.5% of GDP on defense by 2032, plus a further 1.5% on military-related infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, airfields and ports. Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are not yet spending 2%, though Spain expects to reach that goal this year. Without a strong show of support for Ukraine at the summit -- and the acknowledgement that Russia remains NATO's biggest security threat -- some member nations may struggle to convince voters of the need to boost defense spending at the expense of other budget demands.
6 days ago
- Business
Ukraine has dominated NATO summits since Russia's invasion. Not this time with Trump
BRUSSELS -- The war in Ukraine and the existential threat that Russia poses to European security has dominated NATO's agenda in each of the summits the military alliance has held since Moscow launched its invasion in 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sat at the head of NATO's table and been uniformly praised for his leadership. Ukraine's place within the ranks of the world's biggest military organization seemed assured once the war was over. But three weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts gather in the Netherlands, it remained unclear whether Zelenskyy would even get a seat, or how much support Ukraine might win in the final summit communique. Asked on Wednesday about Ukraine's role at the top-level meeting on June 24-25 in The Hague, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said only that it 'will be discussed and on the agenda.' Ahead of previous summits, NATO envoys have a labored to craft statements that encompass Ukraine's 'irreversible path to membership,' with enduring pledges of support, while insisting that Russia poses the greatest threat to NATO security. Asked whether Zelenskyy would be invited this time, Rutte said that the meeting program would be available soon. A NATO-Ukraine Council -– standard fare at recent summits -– will not be held, so it's unclear how he would take part if he was. Invited to comment on Ukraine's covert weekend drone attack in Russia -– described as the most significant of the war by some officers and experts -– Rutte said: 'I take note,' underlining only that the drones had hit military targets. Responding to a similar question on Wednesday, Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said: 'This war needs to come to an end.' He said Trump 'feels very strongly about that' and sees no military solution to end the war. What is clear is that Trump will take center-stage in The Hague, along with his demand that all 32 NATO allies invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense. Zelenskyy should not be allowed to steal the limelight. 'A new defence investment plan will be at the heart of the NATO summit in The Hague,' said Rutte, speaking on the eve of a meeting of the organization's defense ministers at its Brussels headquarters. He said this should involve 'a huge increase in defense spending to make sure that we can keep ourselves safe, not only now, but also in the future.' Rutte said defense companies 'need to know that we are spending more' so they will ramp up production. Whitaker said that the 5% target 'is not going to be a pledge — this is going to be a commitment.' He said that the U.S. wants to see concrete plans, budgets and timelines from European allies and Canada on how they intend to get there. He told reporters that the defense industries of NATO allies 'must outpace' Russia. He added: "We have no choice. Let me be clear: the time is now.' NATO's members are weighing a demand from Rutte that they each spend 3.5% of GDP on defense by 2032, plus a further 1.5% on military-related infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, airfields and ports. Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are not yet spending 2%, though Spain expects to reach that goal this year. Without a strong show of support for Ukraine at the summit -– and the acknowledgement that Russia remains NATO's biggest security threat -– some member nations may struggle to convince voters of the need to boost defense spending at the expense of other budget demands.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine has dominated NATO summits since Russia's invasion. Not this time with Trump
BRUSSELS (AP) — The war in Ukraine and the existential threat that Russia poses to European security has dominated NATO's agenda in each of the summits the military alliance has held since Moscow launched its invasion in 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sat at the head of NATO's table and been uniformly praised for his leadership. Ukraine's place within the ranks of the world's biggest military organization seemed assured once the war was over. But three weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts gather in the Netherlands, it remained unclear whether Zelenskyy would even get a seat, or how much support Ukraine might win in the final summit communique. Asked on Wednesday about Ukraine's role at the top-level meeting on June 24-25 in The Hague, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said only that it 'will be discussed and on the agenda.' Ahead of previous summits, NATO envoys have a labored to craft statements that encompass Ukraine's 'irreversible path to membership,' with enduring pledges of support, while insisting that Russia poses the greatest threat to NATO security. Asked whether Zelenskyy would be invited this time, Rutte said that the meeting program would be available soon. A NATO-Ukraine Council -– standard fare at recent summits -– will not be held, so it's unclear how he would take part if he was. Invited to comment on Ukraine's covert weekend drone attack in Russia -– described as the most significant of the war by some officers and experts -– Rutte said: 'I take note,' underlining only that the drones had hit military targets. Responding to a similar question on Wednesday, Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said: 'This war needs to come to an end.' He said Trump 'feels very strongly about that' and sees no military solution to end the war. What is clear is that Trump will take center-stage in The Hague, along with his demand that all 32 NATO allies invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense. Zelenskyy should not be allowed to steal the limelight. 'A new defence investment plan will be at the heart of the NATO summit in The Hague,' said Rutte, speaking on the eve of a meeting of the organization's defense ministers at its Brussels headquarters. He said this should involve 'a huge increase in defense spending to make sure that we can keep ourselves safe, not only now, but also in the future.' Rutte said defense companies 'need to know that we are spending more' so they will ramp up production. Whitaker said that the 5% target 'is not going to be a pledge — this is going to be a commitment.' He said that the U.S. wants to see concrete plans, budgets and timelines from European allies and Canada on how they intend to get there. He told reporters that the defense industries of NATO allies 'must outpace' Russia. He added: "We have no choice. Let me be clear: the time is now.' NATO's members are weighing a demand from Rutte that they each spend 3.5% of GDP on defense by 2032, plus a further 1.5% on military-related infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, airfields and ports. Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are not yet spending 2%, though Spain expects to reach that goal this year. Without a strong show of support for Ukraine at the summit -– and the acknowledgement that Russia remains NATO's biggest security threat -– some member nations may struggle to convince voters of the need to boost defense spending at the expense of other budget demands.
