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  • Deterrence and defence Allies welcomed news that defence expenditure by European Allies and Canada has experienced the biggest increase in decades. They also reaffirmed their commitment to investing 2% of Gross Domestic Product in defence with a record 23 Allies reaching that threshold this year. Allies renewed their commitment to implementing the Defence Investment Pledge agreed in Vilnius in 2023, and delivering on previous Summit decisions to modernise NATO for a new era of collective defence. They pledged to expand their defence industrial capacity, to further enhance NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence with new ballistic missile defence assets, and to boost NATO’s cyber defence with a new NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre. Allies remain determined to bolster transatlantic defence industrial cooperation, acting urgently to deliver the most critical capabilities, and reinforcing the commitment to NATO standards underscored by the adoption of the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge.
    
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  • Support to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine was warmly welcomed to the Washington Summit and Allies reaffirmed that they will continue to support Ukraine on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. Heads of State and Government issued a Statement of the NATO-Ukraine Council, in which Allies welcomed the launch of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) in Wiesbaden, Germany with logistical hubs on NATO’s eastern flank, and to coordinate the provision of military equipment and training for Ukraine. Allies also welcomed the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC) to identify and implement lessons learned during Russia’s war of aggression, and increase Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO. They also announced a Pledge of Long-Term Security Assistance for Ukraine for the provision of military equipment, assistance and training, providing a minimum baseline funding of EUR 40 billion within the next year, and sustainable levels of security assistance in the future.
    
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  • Partnerships Allies welcomed leaders from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the European Union to discuss common security challenges and areas of cooperation. NATO-EU cooperation has reached unprecedented levels and Allies resolved to continue strengthening this important partnership. The Alliance will also continue to enhance political dialogue and practical cooperation with the Western Balkans, and remains committed to engagement in the region, including via the Kosovo Force (KFOR). With regard to NATO’s southern neighbourhood, Allies adopted an action plan for a stronger, more strategic and result-oriented approach toward the region, and invited the Secretary General to designate a Special Representative who will serve as NATO’s focal point for its southern neighbourhood and coordinate NATO’s efforts there.
    

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  • Deterrence and defence Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, NATO has implemented the largest reinforcement of the Alliance’s collective defence in a generation, enhancing its ability to defend all Allies on land, at sea, in the air, in cyberspace and in space.
    
    Read more:
    Collective defence and Article 5
    NATO’s military presence in the east of the Alliance
    Deterrence and defence
    NATO’s nuclear deterrence policy and forces
    Funding NATO
    
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  • Assistance to Ukraine NATO Allies are providing an unprecedented level of support to Ukraine, helping the country uphold its right to self-defence, as enshrined in the UN Charter. Allies’ contributions help Ukrainians defend their country against Russia's brutal invasion. All Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, that NATO’s door remains open and that it is for Ukraine and NATO Allies to decide on NATO membership.
    
    Read more:
    NATO's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine
    Relations with Ukraine
    NATO-Ukraine Council
    Setting the record straight - De-bunking Russian disinformation on NATO
    
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  • Partnerships NATO is stronger and safer when it stands with like-minded partners to defend the rules-based international order. That is why the Alliance is stepping up cooperation with its network of partners, including in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific region, and with other international organisations, particularly the European Union.
    
    Read more:
    Enlargement and Article 10
    NATO’s partnerships
    Relations with partners in the Indo-Pacific region
    Relations with the European Union
    Relations with the United Nations
    

To find more information about NATO-related subjects, search the Encyclopedia of NATO topics.