NATO’s new force goals will require an additional 50,000 to 60,000 active soldiers, according to German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. This comes as NATO defence ministers are expected to set concrete goals at a meeting in Brussels, ahead of the crucial NATO summit in The Hague at the end of June.

The summit will focus on building up the alliance with a sharpened focus on defending their own territory, with leaders from the 32 NATO countries, including US President Donald Trump and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, expected to participate.

Pistorius stated that the NATO summit’s declaration should identify Russia as the most significant threat to NATO. Germany is prepared to contribute new large troop formations to meet NATO’s force goals.

Denmark is also set to increase its number of combat-ready soldiers, according to Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. Conscription will be extended from 4 months to 11 months, and from 2026, it will also apply to women. This extension aims to increase the number of conscripts in the Armed Forces and the Emergency Management Agency to 7,500 per year, up from the current 5,000. The government plans to introduce the extended conscription in February 2026, earlier than the initially planned August 2026.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized the need for significant investments in air defence, long-range missiles, control systems, and large land formations of soldiers.

Anonymous sources have indicated that NATO is seeking a fivefold increase in Europe’s ground-based air defence, partly influenced by the war in Ukraine, where Russia has caused extensive destruction with drones and long-range missiles.

Denmark will also contribute to air defence, with the government expected to decide next week on purchasing the first systems for a ground-based air defence, to be operational in 2026.

These force goals are seen as crucial for setting a new target for countries’ defence spending, expected to be addressed at the NATO summit in The Hague. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has agreed to a compromise proposal that countries should spend 3.5 percent directly on defence and 1.5 percent on broader security challenges.