Press conference

Good afternoon and it is good to see you all. Yes, let me say we have just concluded a very productive meeting of NATO Defence Ministers. Today the discussions focused on strengthening our deterrence and defence and ensuring continued support to Ukraine.

And let me tell you, what I saw and heard today is unlike any NATO meeting I have taken part in. And I have been to many, starting in 2010.

Last year in The Hague, Allies made a historic commitment to invest 5% of their GDP in defence and security, so that NATO will remain strong and so that the responsibility for our collective security is fairly shared.

The commitment was made in June, and the evidence of progress in delivering on that commitment is visible. But today we also saw evidence of something else, a real shift in mindset, a unity of vision, a much stronger European defence within NATO. Everyone around the table engaged, with a sense of urgency and ownership in how we are working together as Allies to deliver effective deterrence and defence.

We discussed the crucial progress Allies are making towards meeting the 5% defence investment plan. Allies have made clear commitments to reach their capability targets, and they are working to deliver the forces and capabilities needed to ensure our warfighting readiness.

That demands investing a lot more. And Allies are doing just that. We saw a major shift and uplift already in 2025. Some Allies, like Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are already at or above our investment goals, a decade ahead of schedule. Others, like Germany, are on track to double their investment from just a few years ago. These investments are vital for our security.

But as Allies invest more, it is, of course, also essential that the increased demand is met with increased supply. We need quantity, and we need quality, and we need it quickly. More air defence, more ammunition and stronger supply chains across the Alliance. This means building our own industries and increasing production lines on both sides of the Atlantic.

It also means working together, pooling demand as well as expertise, and this is something that NATO does extremely well. Take, for instance, some of the agreements that were signed between Allies today. We are stepping up multinational corporation to rapidly field new technologies, deep precision strike capabilities, and capabilities for ballistic missile defence.

For example, a year ago, we launched NATO's Task Force X Baltic, leveraging innovation to enhance the security of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region. As a result of this pilot initiative, eight Allies are now adopting and integrating these innovative multi-domain capabilities.

Cooperation like this helps secure the continued high demand signals that industry needs to scale up production. It allows us to make best use of defence budgets and corporation is a smart way to deliver flexible, agile approaches to capability development and acquisition.

We do this together as Allies, but we also work as partners to scale up production and boost innovation. And here, the most powerful example of this cooperation is what we are doing with Ukraine. In the midst of the continued bombardment by Russia, Ukraine is not only resilient, but remarkable in its ingenuity.

As we work to support Ukraine to ensure that they have what they need to defend their sovereignty, not least air defence, we also support their incredible innovation, including in the context of drone and counter drone technology.

Allies are working directly with Ukrainian industry, supporting what is produced in Ukraine and jointly producing with Ukraine in Allied countries as well.

Ukraine's Defence Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who is here today for his first meeting in the NATO Ukraine Council, has been leading the charge on this tech revolution. He and his team and the brave soldiers fighting for freedom, are at the cutting edge of battlefield innovation, and we are doing all we can to support them.

As Russia's illegal war of aggression rages on, Ukrainian people continue to face not only a harsh winter, but the brutality of Putin's persistent strikes on civilian infrastructure. Again, last night. Minister Fedorov updated us on the situation of the ground in Ukraine and outlined the urgent support Ukraine requires, support that NATO and Allies continue to provide.

We do this through PURL where critical US equipment, including critical air defence, continues to flow. Through NSATU, where we are coordinating training and delivery of equipment, including what's purchased through PURL. And through the Comprehensive Assistance Package, and through Allied initiatives, and also in many other ways, all so that Ukraine can defend today and deter tomorrow.

Earlier this afternoon, we heard important pledges of continuous support in a NATO Ukraine Council, and we will soon meet in the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, where I expect further announcements of aid. And this is vital. Ukraine needs more.

As I told President Zelensky last week in Kyiv, NATO stands with Ukraine. Our security is interlinked, and we all want to see this brutal war come to a just and lasting end. Allies are united, united in support for Ukraine and united in our commitment to defend every inch of Allied territory. Arctic Sentry, which we launched yesterday, makes this clear yet again, whatever the challenge to our security, we can tackle it best by working together.

NATO will continue to do just that, in order to keep our one billion people safe. And with that, I'm happy to take your questions.