Overview
- At the Munich Security Conference, NATO chief Mark Rutte said European members and Canada are taking greater leadership and responsibility for the alliance.
- U.S. Undersecretary Elbridge Colby, substituting for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at NATO talks in Brussels, pressed for Europe to lead on conventional deterrence while the U.S. maintains the nuclear umbrella.
- NATO unveiled Arctic Sentry to coordinate High North activities, a step allies say helps ease the Greenland rupture and refocus attention on Russian and Chinese activity.
- Ministers advanced implementation of the 5% of GDP by 2035 target with warnings against back‑loaded “hockey‑stick” plans, as the U.S. handed two senior regional NATO commands to the UK and Italy.
- European backing for Ukraine intensified under European coordination, with the UK pledging £500 million in air defense and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group now chaired by the UK and Germany.