Next week, the NATO summit will be held in Washington, D.C., where Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained three main themes that the meeting will focus on during a press conference on Friday, July 5th. These include increasing long-term support for Ukraine, enhancing NATO alliance defense capabilities, and deepening global partnerships to counter China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
From July 9th to 11th, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of NATO, the Leaders’ Summit will take place at the Walter Washington Convention Center, chaired by Secretary General Stoltenberg himself.
Stoltenberg reiterated the importance of Ukraine’s success, stating that “Ukraine must prevail.” He emphasized that the top priority at the summit is supporting Ukraine and expressed hope that leaders at the upcoming summit can agree on a comprehensive substantive plan for Ukraine.
NATO will provide security assistance and training for Ukraine, as well as manage and coordinate the majority of international security aid.
Stoltenberg revealed specific plans, with a headquarters to be established in Germany within a NATO facility led by a three-star general overseeing about 700 staff. These personnel will handle logistics nodes in eastern NATO to ensure the effective transportation and distribution of aid. NATO will coordinate and support but will not engage in direct combat, aiming to enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities while avoiding direct confrontation.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, member countries have been providing a minimum of approximately 40 billion euros in military assistance annually. Stoltenberg hopes to maintain this level next year, with countries sharing the burden based on their respective GDP levels. A review of each country’s commitments and responsibilities within NATO will be conducted at the 2025 summit to ensure compliance.
Stoltenberg highlighted that NATO currently has 500,000 troops at high readiness, deployed combat forces in the alliance’s eastern region for the first time, possesses more advanced capabilities including the latest generation of fighter jets, and includes two highly committed new member countries, Finland and Sweden.
Building on these foundations, NATO will take further steps to enhance alliance defense capabilities. Stoltenberg stated that “Allies are preparing to approve a commitment to strengthen Transatlantic defense industry cooperation to enhance production. We will also further bolster ballistic missile defense and establish a new land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense base in Poland.”
At the 2014 summit, NATO leaders reached the “Wales Pledge,” setting defense spending targets at 2% of GDP, which only three member countries – the United States, Greece, and the United Kingdom – achieved. With 32 member countries now compared to 28 at the time, Stoltenberg aims to have over 20 NATO member countries meet the 2% GDP defense spending target this year.
In 2023, the United States allocated $816 billion for defense (excluding an additional $300 billion for national security funds) to provide military assistance to NATO, accounting for 3.5% of the US GDP and covering 70% of NATO’s defense spending.
Defense expenditures in European allies and Canada have increased by 18% this year, marking the largest rise in decades.
Stoltenberg pointed out that China is supporting Russia’s war economy and providing microelectronics and other dual-use materials for Russia’s war, while Iran and North Korea are supplying firepower with drones and ammunition for Russia’s war.
He emphasized, “The tighter the connections between authoritarian actors, the more important our close cooperation with friends in the Indo-Pacific region becomes. As seen in Ukraine, our security is not regional but global.”
The upcoming summit next week will also include leaders from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.
During the summit, participating leaders will continue practical cooperation based on flagship projects such as Ukraine, cybersecurity, and new technologies, aiming to strengthen cooperation and discuss enhancing defense industry production.