DNAK asks: What are your main expectations for the NATO Summit in Washington DC?

Embassy of Canada

For 75 years NATO has underpinned the rules-based international order, and Canada has been part of nearly every operation. Even as threats to peace and security become increasingly complex and destabilization efforts more sophisticated, Allies will strengthen our collective work and unity.

At the Summit, together with partners we will bolster deterrence, enhance capabilities and co-operation, and address ongoing and emerging threats with focus on collective defence. Canada will reaffirm our commitments to shared defence priorities and security partnerships, and to Euro-Atlantic security and stability, vis-à-vis Russian aggression/destabilization and other challenges. At the NATO-Ukraine Council, Prime Minister Trudeau will emphasize military, financial, and humanitarian support.

Canada is a top supporter of Ukraine ($19 billion 2022-present) and active contributor to collective defence. Canada leads the NATO Battlegroup in Latvia and has approximately 1,500 Canadian Armed Forces members deployed (Operation REASSURANCE). We participate in Mediterranean Sea operations, reinforce peace-support operations in Kosovo, deliver training and capacity building in the Middle East, and host NATO’s Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence and North American Regional Office of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic.

After 75 years, NATO is stronger than ever, including with Finland and Sweden as members. Canada stands united with Allies – dedicated to defending democracy, security, and freedom.

Embassy of Germany

For 75 years, the transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security. Today, NATO is stronger than ever. At the Washington Summit, we will stand together as 32 Allies in unity and resolve. Sweden will, for the first time, participate as an Ally. Given the current security situation and the threat posed by Russia, a strong deterrence and defence is more important than ever. The summit will show that allies have significantly increased their defence capabilities and spending and that we see a historic improvement in burden sharing. Germany has increased its defence spending since 2014 by more than 150%. In 2024, we are spending more than 2% of our GDP on defence – and will continue to meet the 2% commitment by NATO on a permanent basis, which is also enshrined in our National Security Strategy and legislation. We also launched the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) to strengthen the European Pillar of NATO’s Air Defence and we are leading an enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Lithuania. The Summit will also show the continued support for Ukraine which helps Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression by providing NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine and through financial commitment. That support is in our very own interest. The summit will also appreciate NATO’s global partnerships, particularly with the EU and NATO partners from the Indo-Pacific region and discuss common security challenges and areas of enhanced cooperation.

Embassy of Greece

This year’s Anniversary NATO Summit is yet another opportunity to further boost the Alliance’s overall resilience, readiness, cohesion and unity. Greece, a long-standing member and a front-line state in NATO’s Southern flank, stands proudly with its Allies in defending this community of values.

Embassy of Italy

NATO is the most successful military Alliance in the history because is based on shared democratic values and principles: Allies will continue to uphold and nourish them, and increase our cooperation with those partners that are sharing those principles and values. The Washington Summit will provide the Allies with the opportunity to show our unity, cohesion and solidarity in supporting Ukraine, whose security is key for the Euro-Atlantic security. We continue the long-term adaptation of our deterrence and defence posture: investing more and better in our collective defence will be crucial. The implementation of the new regional plans for the defence of the Allied territory is of paramount importance and is being carried out in line with a 360-degree approach, mindful of the indivisibility of the Euro-Atlantic security. Thanks to the solidarity shown by many Allies, our Eastern Flank is in a much better position now compared to 2022. Reinforcing our ties with our partners from different areas means reinforcing our security in different quadrants of the globe: Italy looks forward for strengthening the Alliance posture vis-à-vis the partners in the MENA, a key area for us.

Embassy of Latvia:

• further strengthening of deterrence and defence, especially on NATO’s eastern flank;
• progress with increasing defence expenditure and burden-sharing;
• immediate and long-term support to Ukraine;
• containing Russia’s influence and capabilities.

Deterrence and defence

• Strengthen Alliance capabilities to defend every inch of NATO territory from minute one.
• Implementation of NATO’s forward defence strategy and defence plans.
• NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia is scaled up to a brigade level.

Investment in defence and burden sharing

• At least 2 percent of GDP for defence (Latvia reached 3.17% in 2024).
• Fair burden-sharing between allies.
• Scaling up of our defence industry.

Support to Ukraine

• Confirming NATO’s enhanced and long-term support for Ukraine.
• Ukraine’s place is in NATO; its membership is a matter of time (when, not if).
• Ukraine plays important role in the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic space.
• Support to Ukraine is in the security interest of the Alliance.

Russia

• Russia is the most direct and serious long-term threat to the security of the Euro-Atlantic space. Russia continues undermining peace and stability.
• Russia is preparing for sustained hostilities and poses a hybrid threat.
• Alliance must implement a comprehensive strategy to contain Russia.

Ambassador of Lithuania, Jonas Mažeika

This year is particularly notable as we mark the 75th anniversary of the NATO Alliance. 32 allies will participate for the first time in the summit of the Alliance with the accession of Sweden, commemorating the anniversary. Government and state leaders must make decisions on strengthening NATO's collective defense potential, providing long-term military and financial support to Ukraine, and bringing Ukraine closer to NATO membership. At the NATO Summit, Lithuania will emphasize the need to further reinforce the Baltic region and the entire eastern flank of the Alliance, with special focus placed on implementing the rotational air defense model. Allies must declare Regional Plans fully executable.

We also must agree on measures to address the long-term threat posed by Russia and its destabilizing aggressive actions in Europe, as well as the challenges posed by China.

Also, Russia’s containment policy must be high on NATO’s agenda. Russia’s capacity to reconstitute militarily, to wage further wars, to launch an accelerating campaign of kinetic activities in Europe, as well as impact global policies must be countered and contested. By all means.

Embassy of Poland

Overall priorities

• As the Alliance celebrates its 75^th anniversary, the upcoming Summit in Washington is more than a fitting venue to re-affirm NATO’s unity and strength.
• The accession of Sweden as the 32^nd member of NATO, consolidates and reinforces our transatlantic community. Together, we are stronger and better prepared to address threats and challenges ahead.
• We welcome the agreement to appoint Mark Rutte as the next NATO Secretary General. We expect that he will efficiently lead the Alliance at a period of major geopolitical challenges.
• Three main Polish priorities for the Summit include:
  • Assuring credibility of NATO collective defence;
  • Demonstrating Allies’ unwavering and long-term commitment to Ukraine;
  • Preparing NATO to deter and contain Russia in the long run.
  • Moreover, Poland will underline the recent developments regarding Belarus, which negatively impact regional and Allied security, including the instrumentalisation of illegal migration by Belarus and Russia.

Deterrence and defence

NATO must continue to deny any possibility of aggression, be it hybrid or military; from the territory of Russia, Belarus or elsewhere. In this regard, several elements are particularly important:

First, persistent and robust presence of Allied forward forces on the Eastern flank. Poland itself has been deploying its troops in other countries of the Eastern flank, including in Latvia and Romania as well as in Turkey. Our Air Force is patrolling skies over Slovakia and engages regularly in air policing missions in Baltic States. Second, it is important to enhance our own air defence capabilities, in parallel with supporting Ukraine in the same domain. NATO’s airspace in Poland has already been violated several times by Russian missiles. Third, it is crucial that Allied forward defence is supported by wider NATO military adaptation, including proper planning and command structures, as well as appropriate logistics, including reliable fuel supply for military forces. Fourth, we should clearly call out increasingly aggressive hybrid attacks of Russia and Belarus, including cyberattacks, sabotage operations, GPS jamming or weaponisation of migration. We need to increase costs of such actions. Increase of Allied defence spending is a prerequisite to achieve all these objectives. Poland allocates the highest percentage of GDP to defence among NATO countries. We will spend over 4 % of GDP on defence this year. We encourage Allies to also increase their defence spending for the coming years.

Ukraine

Poland remains a steadfast supporter of Ukraine’s efforts towards NATO membership. In the long run, admitting Ukraine to NATO is the only way to bring sustainable peace to Europe. The Summit should send an unequivocal political message on the irreversibility of Ukraine’s path to NATO. It should also confirm NATO’s unwavering and long-term support for Ukraine, including through practical decisions on:

• Enhancing NATO’s role in training and security assistance, backed by a sustainable financial pledge to support Ukraine.
• Taking forward the establishment of NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre in Poland, as a symbol of close relations and practical cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. This is a first-time ever joint NATO-Ukraine institution, which requires sustainable structures and financing. We hope to agree that by the summit in Washington.
• Upgrading NATO political presence in Ukraine, by nomination of the NATO Special Representative in Kyiv.

Russia

Russia is and will remain the most serious and direct threat to the Alliance. Moscow’s goals go beyond the destruction of sovereign Ukraine, as it seeks to build a new security order against and at the expense of Europe. NATO needs to design a new, strategic approach towards Russia.In the coming months, NATO should conduct a strategic discussion on how to effectively contain Russia. In view of Russia’s aggressive activities, the sooner NATO has clarity on this topic, the better will we be able to defend ourselves.

Ambassador of Portugal, Pedro Pessoa e Costa

After 75 years of its creation, NATO is still the major pillar of collective defence in Europe and Portugal is a very proud founding member of the Alliance. The world is changing in a dizzyingly way, and more than ever is important to show the importance and the strength of its values and principles. The Washington Summit takes place at a critical juncture for the Alliance and for the security in the Euro-Atlantic area, overshadowed by the continued Russia’s illegal and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and the growing instability in the Middle East and North Africa. NATO and its Allies are today, more than ever, united and firm in reaffirming their steadfast commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty, their shared democratic values and to preserving a 360º degree approach to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area in undertaking the Alliance’s three core tasks: collective defence, crisis management and cooperative security.

As far as Portuguese priorities for the Washington Summit, Portugal looks forward to the reinforcement of the ever-stronger NATO-Ukraine partnership as a key deliverable for the Summit, in providing Ukraine with the support it needs to prevail in its fight for freedom while exercising its legitimate right to self-defence.

Portugal is also committed to an advancement of the long-term adaptation of the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture in the Eastern flank, namely in what concerns the implementation of the decisions taken in previous Summits. Also, while our pledge to strengthening deterrence and defence in the Eastern flank remains unwavering and a priority, Portugal considers necessary to address, through a 360º approach to Euro-Atlantic security, the fast-deteriorating situation in the Southern neighbourhood. In this regard, the continuation of the deep and comprehensive strategic reflection beyond Washington will be crucial to achieve a more systematic and coherent approach by NATO to that area, based on the excellent work by the Independent Group of Experts chaired by Prof. Ana Santos Pinto. Portugal also considers of key importance for the Summit, and for all the Allies, to reaffirm the importance of NATO to continue deepening its strategic cooperation with closest Partners such as the European Union, but also with NATO’s Partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Portugal is confident that the Summit will be an opportunity to demonstrate, once again, that our strength lies in our unity and cohesion, as well as on our determination to continue delivering on our ambitions and priorities, taking full advantage of the recent accession of Finland and Sweden to the Alliance.

Portugal will continue to be an active member and to do its part in NATO, including through the participation of its Armed Forces in several missions and operations of the Alliance, as is currently the case in the Forward Presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, in Romania, Lithuania and Slovakia, in the Air Policing activities in the Baltic Region and in Force in Kosovo.

More than ever, being united and firm, is a way of defending also democracy and freedom, a way of life, our way of life.

Silviu-Vasile Jipa, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Romania

• The NATO Summit in Washington marks a historical anniversary and at the same time a pivotal moment in the evolution of NATO. The next few days will be highly important in further consolidating the profile and role of the Alliance in a dynamic and complex security environment.

• We will have to be very firm in reaffirming our solidarity, unity and resolve. Our main message should be of our solid transatlantic bond, as the central element for a strong Alliance, willing and able to share the burden and capable to protect and defend all the Allies.

• Romania’s priorities are:

• A strong NATO deterrence and defence posture, especially on the Eastern Flank. Need to ensure the executability of all NATO regional plans, South-East in Romania’s case. Essential component of executability is enablement. Interested in advancing projects for the benefit of regional and Euro-Atlantic security.

• Ensure that the Black Sea benefits from the necessary attention at NATO. We need to be faithful to the Vilnius decisions.

• A robust support package for Ukraine. On our part, we will continue to remain engaged in supporting Kyiv. We have a long direct border with Ukraine and we are supporting its efforts in a sustained multi-dimensional approach. This support is also an investment in our own security, as well as in European and Euro-Atlantic security.

• Continue our support and assistance for vulnerable partners, especially Republic of Moldova, as this is a necessary an investment in our own security.

• Continue to work with our like-minded partners in the Indo- Pacific area (IP4) to support the rules-based international order.

Ambassador of Sweden, Mikael Eriksson

This summit in Washington is an opportunity for the Alliance to show that we stand united, are relevant and have a strong transatlantic link. One of Sweden’s priority issues in Washington is to push for strengthened support to Ukraine. This includes NATO having an enhanced role in the coordination of military and training support to Ukraine. Support to Ukraine is one of the most important tools to constrain Russia’s possibilities to cause harm – in our neighbourhood as well.

Support to Ukraine is Sweden’s primary foreign policy priority. We are in favour of NATO having a more prominent role in the coordination of security assistance within the framework of long-term support to Ukraine. Through this, we can make the support better coordinated, more effective and more sustainable in the long term. NATO having an enhanced role in the coordination of Allies’ and partners’ support to Ukraine does not weaken the EU’s role in this support. EU–NATO cooperation being mutually reinforcing is fundamental.

Safeguarding the Alliance’s cohesion means safeguarding its strength. As a member, Sweden shares burdens, responsibilities and risks in solidarity. We support NATO’s 360-degree approach. Sweden’s geographical location and capability to support other Allies are crucial to NATO’s ability to operate in our part of Europe. With Sweden as a member, NATO is stronger, developments in our neighbourhood are more predictable and our neighbours are more secure.