NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss priority security challenges, support for Ukraine, strengthening partnerships and defense capabilities, and preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague in June. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mutsunski is attending the two-day meeting.

The meeting includes sessions with Asia-Pacific partner countries (Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand) and a NATO-Ukraine Council working dinner where Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sibiha will provide updates on the situation in Ukraine and prospects for peace. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, will also participate.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized the focus on strengthening collective defense, acknowledging the challenges to common security are too great for any nation to handle alone. He affirmed continued support for Ukraine and welcomed commitments to resolve the conflict, while also highlighting the Russian threat and its collaboration with China, Iran, and North Korea to destabilize societies.

Rutte stressed the need for a stronger, fairer, and more powerful NATO, urging increased investment in defense capabilities and production on both sides of the Atlantic. He also acknowledged the tragic loss of four American soldiers during training in Lithuania, emphasizing the solidarity within the Alliance.

The discussions are intended to contribute to a “new chapter of NATO” that will begin at the upcoming summit in The Hague.