Overview
- With U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth absent, Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby told ministers in Brussels that Europe must take primary responsibility for conventional defense as the United States maintains its extended nuclear deterrent and a more limited conventional role.
- NATO launched Arctic Sentry to consolidate High North activities under one command, a move presented as countering Russian and Chinese activity and calming tensions after President Trump’s threats over Greenland.
- Allies highlighted a shift toward greater European responsibility, with the United States handing two senior regional NATO command roles to Britain and Italy and ministers calling for a “more European” alliance.
- Officials pressed members to back the 5% of GDP by 2035 pledge with credible near-term plans, warning against backloaded “hockey-stick” budgets as Strategic Level Reports are reviewed ahead of July’s Ankara summit.
- Support for Ukraine is increasingly Europe-led, with the UK and Germany steering the Contact Group, new PURL pledges announced, and Britain committing an additional £0.5 billion for air defenses as leaders head to the Munich Security Conference to showcase progress.