17 February 2026 17:59 UTC · NATO · NATO News · Source · Email X Link

NATO says Chiefs of Defence discuss deterrence, Ukraine

Key points

Discussed strengthening deterrence and defence
Allies reiterated support to Ukraine

TL;DR

193rd Military Committee Chiefs of Defence session held in Brussels on 14 May 2025.
Allied Chiefs discussed deterrence and defence, support to Ukraine, and preparations for the June NATO Summit in The Hague.
Ukrainian Chief of Defence joined virtually from Kyiv; Allies reiterated continued support to Ukraine.

Original text

Create an account Reset password Already have an account? Log in From now on you can download videos from our website If you would also like to subscribe to the newsletter and receive our latest updates, click on the button below. Enter the email address you registered with and we will send you a code to reset your password. The password must be at least 12 characters long, no spaces, include upper/lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Click the button to return to the page you were on and log in with your new password. 14 May 2025 2 MIN READ Brussels, 14 May 2025 – The 193rd NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session took place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, today. Thirty two Allied Chiefs of Defence discussed NATO’s vigilance & deterrence, continued support to Ukraine, and preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague in June. The final meeting of the day saw the Ukrainian Chief of Defence, General Sikyrsky, join the NATO-Ukraine Council virtually from Kyiv. Opening the working session, the Chair of the Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, underscored that the meeting of Allied Chiefs of Defence is a testament to NATO's enduring unity and strength, and that cohesion among Allied militaries is the bedrock of NATO's collective defence. The Chair stressed the priorities for the NATO Military Authorities, especially in these challenging times: continue providing unfettered and timely military advice to political leadership, underpinned by collective clarity and decisiveness. The Allied Chiefs of Defence session focus was to discuss further strengthening NATO'S deterrence and defence, in order to continue adapting to the security challenges facing the Alliance. During the following session, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) briefed the Chiefs of Defence on NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, and the status quo and way ahead of NATO’s operations, missions, and activities. Then, Chiefs of Defence discussed with Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) about NATO's Defence Planning Process and developments in innovation and the adoption of new systems. The final session with the Chief of Defence of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi (attending via videoconference), focused on the current state of play in Ukraine. Allies reiterated their support to Ukraine, and emphasised why now - more than ever - it is key for NATO to continue to provide Ukraine what is needed for its defence. Wrapping up a fruitful meeting, CMC farewelled fellow Chiefs of Defence, looking forward to the next meeting in this format later in the year. Link was copied to clipboard

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