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Source: NATO
On Wednesday, 19 March 2025, the NATO Secretary General, Mr Mark Rutte, will receive the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr Aleksandar Vučić, at his official residence, in Brussels.
There will be no media opportunity.
Photographs will be available on the NATO website after the event.
For more information:
For general queries: Contact the NATO Press Office
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Source: NATO
Brussels, NATO HQ, 18 March 2025 – Led by Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, the 32 NATO Chiefs of Defence, together with Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher G. Cavoli and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Admiral Pierre Vandier, met (via VTC) today, to discuss the current global security environment.
The NATO Military Committee regularly meets several times a week at Military Representative level, and at least three times a year at Chiefs of Defence level.
Following their last meeting in January, the Chiefs of Defence are scheduled to hold another in-person session, together with the Supreme Commanders, in Brussels, this May 2025.
Source: NATO
On Monday, 17 March 2025, the NATO Secretary General, Mr Mark Rutte, will meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr Kęstutis Budrys, at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.
There will be no media opportunity.
Photographs will be available on the NATO website.
For more information:
For general queries: Contact the NATO Press Office
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Source: NATO
On Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March [2025] NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Washington DC to meet the President of the United States of America Donald J. Trump.
Discussions throughout the trip centred on the urgent need to increase defence spending and production, bring a lasting end to the war against Ukraine, and on other priorities for the forthcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.
On Thursday, the Secretary General participated in a bilateral meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Counselor of the State Department Michael Needham, US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Lieutenant General (ret.) Keith Kellogg, and Ambassador-Nominee Matthew Whitaker, were in attendance. Mr Rutte praised the President for his pivotal role in accelerating Allied defence investment and breaking the deadlock on the war in Ukraine. The conversation continued over a working lunch.
While in Washington, Mr Rutte also met with Senate Majority Leader, John Thune, and a number of other Senators, both Republican and Democrat, and took part in a working lunch hosted by the Atlantic Council.
Source: NATO
First of all, thank you so much, Mr President, dear Donald again for hosting me and also for taking time in Florida a couple of weeks after you were re-elected. And of course, our phone call a couple of weeks ago.
And I must say, Trump 45 you basically, you originated the fact that in Europe, we’re now spending, when you take it to aggregate 700 billion more on defence than when you came in office in 2016/2017. But that was Trump 45. But then when you look at Trump 47 what happened the last couple of weeks is really staggering. The Europeans committing to a package of 800 billion defence spending. The Germans now potentially up to half a trillion extra in defence spending. And then, of course, you have Keir Starmer here – the British Prime Minister – and others all committing to much higher defence spending. They’re not there. We need to do more. But I really want to work together with you in the run up to the Hague Summit to make sure that we will have a NATO which is really reinvigorated under your leadership, and we are getting there.
We’ll also discuss defence production, because we need to produce more weaponry. We are not doing enough, and not in the US, not in Europe, and we are lagging behind when you compare to the Russians and the Chinese, and you have a huge defence industrial base. Europeans buying four times more here than the other way around, which is good, because you have a strong defence industry, but we need to do more there to make sure that we ramp up the production and kill the red tape. So I would love to work with you on that.
And finally, Ukraine. You broke the deadlock, as you said – all the killing, the young people dying, cities getting destroyed. The fact that you did that, that you started the dialogue with the Russians and the successful talks in Saudi Arabia, now with the Ukrainians, I really want to commend you for this. So, well, The Hague is my hometown. I’d love to host you there in the summer and work together to make sure that it will be a splash. A real success – projecting American power on the world stage.
Source: NATO
On 10 and 11 March 2025, NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, visited Sarajevo and Pristina. In Sarajevo, he met high-level officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Chair and members of the Presidency, the Chair of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defence, and the Acting Minister of Security, as well as with the Commander of NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Commander of the EUFOR mission. The Secretary General also engaged with students at the University of Sarajevo.
During his visit, Mr. Rutte highlighted that “NATO remains firmly committed to the stability of this region and to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” He added that “the Dayton Peace Agreement is the cornerstone of peace in this country and must be respected; and we support the Office of the High Representative; any actions that undermine Dayton, the constitutional order, or national institutions are unacceptable; inflammatory rhetoric and actions are dangerous; they pose a direct threat to Bosnia and Herzegovina stability and security.” The NATO Secretary General also underscored the need for political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina “to do their share” and “take responsibility” for the progress and stability of their country. He made it clear that “this is not 1992” and that NATO and its international partners are present and engaged in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and “will not allow a security vacuum to emerge.” Finally, he emphasised that the Alliance stands committed to its cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We already have a solid partnership, and we are prepared to build on NATO’s long-standing support to a unified BiH Armed Forces and to defence and security reforms, through our Headquarters in Sarajevo, our newly established Political Cell, and our Defence Capacity Building Package,” he said.
In Pristina, the Secretary General led a visit of the North Atlantic Council and troop contributing partners to the NATO-led KFOR mission and the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team. Together with the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, and the Chair of NATO’s Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, they met with the leadership and personnel of KFOR and the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team (NALT). They also had an exchange of views with the Heads of Mission of the European Union, the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of Mission of UNMIK, and the Acting Head of Mission of the OSCE. Furthermore, the Secretary General met with representatives of the Institutions in Kosovo, for bilateral discussions.
“NATO has supported peace and stability in the Western Balkans region for thirty years; our commitment remains strong today, spearheaded by KFOR, which is our longest and currently largest mission. Under the excellent leadership of Major General Enrico Barduani, our KFOR troops work relentlessly to ensure a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo, in line with KFOR’s long-standing UN mandate; and the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team continues to support the security organisations in Kosovo, through capacity-building, education and training coordination; a secure Western Balkans region means more security across the whole Euro-Atlantic area,” Secretary General Rutte said. “NATO will continue to play its part, in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, in our respective roles as security responders,” he added. “The solution leading to long-lasting peace is political; NATO will continue to fully support the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, led by the European Union; this is the only way to solve pending issues, and secure a stable future, ensuring that the rights of all communities are respected and safeguarded; to move the Dialogue forward, both sides must show flexibility, make the necessary compromises, and focus on the long-term gains,” he pointed out.
Source: NATO
On Monday, 31 March 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will meet the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, Mr Peter Sørensen.
There will be no media opportunity.
Photographs will be available on the NATO website.
For more information:
For general queries: Contact the NATO Press Office
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Source: NATO
From 26 to 28 March, the NATO Military Committee visited the Island of Gotland and Luleå in Sweden, on an invitation by the Swedish Chief of Defence, General Michael Claesson. This was the first visit of the Military Committee to Sweden, since the country became the 32nd member of the NATO Alliance, in March 2024.
Throughout the visit, the Military Committee was briefed on Sweden’s security and defence strategy, its geostrategic environment, total defence concept and modern military capabilities. Sweden’s bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation with regional and international allies were also discussed.
The Chair of the Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, underscored “the importance of this visit in witnessing first-hand the high-level of Sweden’s defence capabilities, the professionalism of its military and civilian personnel, and how all this contributes significantly to the Alliance’s collective defence”. Admiral Cavo Dragone emphasized the security of Sweden’s position within NATO, and the commitment of guaranteeing security shared among all 32 Allies.
On Wednesday 26th March, the Military Committee visited Swedish military facilities on the Island of Gotland, a site of geostrategic importance in the Baltic sea region for strengthening NATO’s north-eastern flank. The Military Committee also had the opportunity to meet with the 18th Armoured Regiment Gotland, and learn more about Sweden’s maritime and land capabilities.
The Military Committee also visited Luleå, hosted by the Chief of the Air Force, Major General Jonas Wikman, and the Chief of the Army, Major General Jonny Lindfors, where they learned more about how Sweden’s specialised capabilities are adapted to the High North strategic environment. In Luleå, admirals and generals from the Military Committee had the opportunity to engage with conscripts, and were briefed on Sweden’s whole-of-society approach and investment in future force capabilities.
Source: NATO
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte travelled to Herstal, Belgium on Thursday (27 March 2025) for a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of the Thales Group, Patrice Caine. While in Herstal, Mr Rutte toured the Thales factory with the Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever.
During his visit, the Secretary General emphasised the value of close cooperation between NATO and the defence industry. He highlighted that the defence industry is critically important for the Alliance’s security and commended Thales for its investment in the next generation of scientists, engineers and technicians. Mr Rutte also emphasised the critical need to ramp up defence production in an increasingly turbulent security environment
Source: NATO
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Warsaw on Wednesday (26 March 2025), where he met Polish President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. The Secretary General then gave a speech at a public event co-hosted by the Warsaw School of Economics and the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
Secretary General Rutte praised Poland for its leadership within the Alliance, including its strong support to Ukraine and record-high defence spending, set to reach 4.7% of GDP this year. “Poland’s investment in defence is an example to all Allies. Not only do you top the NATO charts, you plan to spend even more,” he said.
In his keynote speech, the Secretary General underlined the strength of the transatlantic bond and laid out NATO’s path to the upcoming Summit in The Hague.
“When it comes to keeping Europe and North America safe, there is no alternative to NATO,” he said, stressing that it is not possible to imagine the defence of Europe without the Alliance.
As Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on and its military cooperation with China, Iran, and North Korea intensifies, Mr Rutte warned that President Putin “has not given up on his ambition to reshape the global security order.” He underlined that a strong transatlantic Alliance remains the foundation of European security and that stronger European Allies are a unique strategic asset to the United States – allowing America, he said, to “promote peace through strength on the global stage.”
Secretary General Rutte reiterated his confidence in the United States’ continued commitment to NATO and Article 5. “Listen to President Trump, who has repeatedly stated his commitment to a strong NATO. Listen to the strong bipartisan support in the US Congress,” he said. “And listen to the American people,” three-quarters of whom support NATO according to a recent Gallup poll.
Mr Rutte also emphasised that the US commitment to NATO comes with a clear expectation: that European Allies and Canada take on greater responsibility for our shared security.
Looking ahead to the NATO Summit in The Hague, the Secretary General said the Alliance would “begin a new chapter for our transatlantic Alliance. Where we build a stronger, fairer and more lethal NATO, to face a more dangerous world.”