NATO Defense Ministers Meet in Brussels Amid U.S. Demands for 5% Defense Spending, Nuclear Deterrence Modernization, and Shifting Security Commitments

NATO’s defense ministers are gathering in Brussels this week for a high-stakes meeting that will shape the alliance’s priorities ahead of next month’s summit in Ankara. The discussions, which begin in earnest on Thursday, will focus on defense spending targets, military preparedness, long-term support for Ukraine, and NATO’s nuclear deterrence policy, with Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) among the participants. The meeting takes on added tension amid uncertainty over the messaging of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who is expected to demand a 5% defense spending target from allies Ilta-Sanomat (IS) reports.