NATO defense ministers to discuss Finland, Sweden membership application, increased military spending
BRUSSELS
The upcoming NATO leaders’ summit will be “transformative” for Euro-Atlantic security, the alliance’s chief said on Thursday.
Jens Stoltenberg spoke to reporters on the way to the second day of the NATO defense ministerial meeting, a precursor to the NATO leaders’ summit scheduled for June 29-30 in Madrid.
He said that the leaders’ summit will be “transformative” for Euro-Atlantic security because it will strengthen the military alliance’s long-term defense and deterrence posture to face the challenges of “a more dangerous world.”
According to Stoltenberg, NATO defense ministers have already laid the foundations to “continue to provide substantial and unprecedented support to Ukraine.”
At Thursday’s reunion, they will discuss how to modernize NATO and the need to increase defense spending, as well as strengthening partnerships with Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.
The ministers will also talk about the NATO membership application of Sweden and Finland.
On the way to the meeting, US Secretary of Defense Llyod Austin expressed hope that the procedure will “move forward in support of the desire to join NATO,” adding that both countries are “very capable” and share the same core values as the rest of the allies.
