LIVE: NATO Defense ministers arrive for a meeting in Brussels

NATO's Response to Russia and Ukraine

• Finland is strengthening its border with Russia and Belarus, increasing ammunition production, and working with the EU to provide ammunition to Ukraine.
• NATO is holding exercises and increasing defense spending to deter Russia and support Ukraine.
• NATO allies are providing military and financial support to Ukraine, including drones from the UK and a €50 billion allocation from the EU.
• NATO is concerned about Ukraine running out of ammunition and is working to provide more support.
• NATO's nuclear deterrent has worked for decades and should not be undermined.
• Belarus has been complicit in Russian aggression against Ukraine since the beginning.

Strengthening NATO

• European countries need to take a more significant role in their defense by increasing defense budgets and ramping up the defense industry.
• More countries are meeting the 2% defense spending goal, and NATO aims to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP for all allies.
• NATO allies have signed contracts for €10 billion for more orders from the transatlantic defense industry.
• Estonia is committed to investing 3.2% of its GDP in defense and plans to maintain that level for the coming years.
• Canada is acquiring new air defense and counter-drone equipment for its troops deployed in Latvia, as well as anti-tank weapons.

Support for Ukraine

• Ukraine will move towards NATO membership, and practical steps will be agreed upon to support Ukraine before the Washington Summit.
• The UK is providing £200 million for drones to Ukraine, and NATO is committed to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.
• Supporting Ukraine is not charity but an investment in NATO's own security.
• The US government's warning about Ukraine running out of ammunition is a concern, and NATO is working to provide more ammunition.
• Estonia is sending ammunition to Ukraine and the defense minister will visit Kyiv next month.

Other Developments

• Finland is looking forward to intensifying and strengthening NATO's regional plans and command and control systems as a new NATO member.
• NATO is concerned about adversaries exploring new frontiers like space and cyber warfare and is taking steps to be prepared.
• Sweden's membership in NATO is a matter of time, and Hungary should join as well to avoid being the last one.
• Burden sharing is important in NATO, and all members must be ready to defend each other.
• Luxembourg's new defense minister emphasizes the importance of unity and solidarity within NATO, bolstering forward defense, increasing armaments production, and supporting Ukraine.