With the movements of and significantly limiting the possibility of intervention of the European member countries, the EU member states and itself, in the negotiations for peace in Ukraine, the foreign ministers of NATO and the NATO-Ukraine Council, had a strong dose of “reality check”. Contributing to this was the fact that the USA was represented, but also that there was no meeting or official information from Washington (there was, but without giving more details) about the .
The situation in Ukraine and the Russian threat are key issues
From the positions and from the announcements, it appears that of course the main issue that preoccupied all those present is the ongoing threat posed by Russia, with the war in Ukraine, but also with the violations of the airspace of several member states of NATO and the EU and the cyber-attacks it carries out, which are indeed cause for concern.
The ministers who participated in the work underlined the need for unity and to strengthen the collective defense capacity of their countries, while making it clear that the goal of increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 – which had been requested by US President Donald Trump – remains on the agenda. As he pointed out, support for Ukraine is now integrated for its achievement. At the same time, according to what was announced, special emphasis was placed on strengthening the forces in the eastern wing and on the modernization of military equipment.
Ukraine presented its immediate needs
In the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, Ukraine presented its urgent needs, while the continuous support of the Alliance was highlighted, especially in view of the difficulties of the winter. Through the Prioritized Requirements List for Ukraine (PURL), the Allies have pledged to put critical capabilities at Kiev’s service, such as air defense, while new commitments are expected to be announced for 2026. During the Summit, it was underlined that Ukraine’s security is inextricably linked to that of NATO and that assistance to Kiev must continue.
In addition, hybrid threats were discussed, with an emphasis on increasing defense investment, boosting production and maintaining support for Ukraine.
Rutte’s response to Putin and the fight over frozen Russian funds
Of particular interest in the context of the discussions that took place were Mark Rutte’s statements, with which he responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats that “Russia is ready for a war with Europe here and now if Europe so desires.” According to Rutte, the Alliance is ready to protect its citizens from the Russian threat.
At the same time, special emphasis was placed on the Commission’s efforts to use Russian frozen funds for a loan to Ukraine, as the president of the European Commission presented her legal proposal to overcome the opposition to this move expressed by Belgium. Bart de Wever’s government, however, responded that not even the Commission’s current proposals are sufficient to overcome the Belgian government’s resistance to this move.
US annoyance that Europeans aren’t “buying” enough American weapons
Also of interest is a report by Politico, according to which US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landow – who represented the US at the Summit after Marco Rubio did not go to Brussels – attacked European NATO allies for prioritizing their own defense industries at the expense of US arms suppliers in meeting the 5% GDP target.
According to the relevant publication, which cites three officials of the alliance, Landow’s intervention took place during the closed meeting of foreign ministers, during which the deputy minister took the floor first. According to what the sources told Politico, Landow warned the other ministers not to “intimidate” US defense companies to exclude them from participating in the restructuring of European military capabilities.
Landow’s comments are likely to anger several European governments as they come as several European countries, including Germany and Poland, have announced millions in new funding for a NATO plan that pays US defense companies to supply critical weapons to Ukraine. In total, Europe and Canada have committed $4 billion to the project, Rutte said in his presentation.
