Increasing the Alliance’s collective defence capabilities, support to Ukraine and constraining Russia, cooperation with partners from the Indo-Pacific, preparations for the NATO summit in the Hague – those were key topics addressed at the NATO Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels on 3–4 April 2025. The event takes place on a significant date: on Friday, 4 March, the Alliance marks 76 years since its founding.
“The new members of the Alliance, Finland and Sweden, are fully integrated, NATO’s defence and deterrence capabilities have been considerably increased over the past decade, we have strengthened cooperation with our partners in the Indo-Pacific region – regardless of distance, we are in the same boat, and geopolitical challenges are too great to be addressed individually. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pledged an unshakeable U.S. commitment to NATO; nevertheless, the requirement for Europe to invest more and faster into its own security and defence remains unchanged so that we are able to deter the aggressor and defend every centimetre of the Alliance’s territory. The fulfilment of the NATO defence plans requires at least 3.5% of GDP of the individual members of the Alliance, this being in the collective security interests of us all,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, underlines.
She emphasised that Latvia takes its security and defence very seriously: for 2025, it has allocated the largest defence budget in the country’s history – more than EUR 1.5 billion, or 3.66% of GDP – and has taken a decision to increase the amount to 5%. The Minister also highlighted Latvia’s important “homework” – over the next five years Latvia intends to invest EUR 303 million in the strengthening of its eastern border, which is also the external border of NATO and the EU. In 2025, EUR 45 million will be channelled into military reinforcement of Latvia’s eastern border of Latvia in addition to EUR 25 million invested in 2024.
At the NATO-Ukraine Council, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, briefed the ministers about the current situation on the battlefield and the military support needed by Ukraine. Baiba Braže noted that Latvia has been among the biggest supporters of Ukraine in terms of percentage of GDP. Latvia will continue to support Ukraine both in achieving a just and lasting peace and in advocating for a continued sanctions pressure against Russia to urge its involvement in peace efforts and honouring any agreement reached. Sanctions are working. They limit Russia’s ability to wage war, and they weaken the already crumbling Russian economy.
“We all want peace. Ukraine wants it more than anyone. The only country we don’t see as interested in achieving peace is Russia. We are all of one mind that Russia is, and remains the most significant long-term threat to the entire Alliance. We are currently under no direct military threat,” Baiba Braže underlined at the meeting.
NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers exchanged views with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, on the EU’s White Paper for European Defence and the ReArm Europe plan, as well as the opportunities for cooperation between NATO and the EU to advance the development of the European defence industry and military capabilities of NATO’s European members.
The ministers engaged in a discussion with partners from the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific regions on security challenges they face and on the need for NATO to work closer with Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand to share experience in combating various threats of unconventional warfare. The ministers thanked the Indo-Pacific countries for support they are providing to Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pointed out that the summit in The Hague on 24-25 June will start a new chapter, as the Alliance must be built stronger, fairer and more lethal, so as to guarantee our future shared security. He also stressed that Allies are aligned in support of Ukraine and that in the first three months of 2025, the Alliance has pledged more than 20 billion euros in security assistance for Ukraine.
