Pre-ministerial press conference

Good morning, everyone.

It's great to see you.

Tomorrow, NATO Defence Ministers will gather, as this will be for the last time, before our Summit in Ankara in July.

We will start the day with a meeting of NATO's Nuclear Planning Group with those Allies involved, followed by a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, at 32, where we will discuss final preparations for the Summit.

In the afternoon, there will be a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, the UDCG, co-chaired by Germany and the UK.

We have a lot to talk about.

We continue to face a dynamic security environment, and Allies are consistently working to ensure we are prepared to deter aggression and defend ourselves against any threat. And here I really want to welcome the deal made by President Trump with Iran.

The US action to prevent the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran and degrade its ballistic missile capability improves security for us all. And, the deal President Trump struck has created an opportunity to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.

The restoration of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be a massive step forward. And I know that many Allies - through the initiative led by France and the United Kingdom - are ready to support.

Looking to our agenda for Defence Ministers tomorrow, Allies will demonstrate progress on building a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.

We need more forces, more resources and a much stronger industrial base.

That means making steady increases to defence investment.

And more fairly sharing responsibility for our collective security.

Ahead of the Summit in Ankara, Allies will highlight how they're delivering on commitments made in The Hague last year.

Investing 5% of GDP in defence by 2035.

That's what we agreed.

So, I expect nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans to reach that goal. Ideally, well ahead of the agreed timeline. And many are already showing that they are doing exactly that.

The numbers are clear. We saw a massive increase in defence investment in 2025 - with European Allies and Canada increasing their core defence investment by over 90 billion dollars. That is an astounding figure - amounting to a nearly 20% increase in a single year. With further increases already on the books for 2026.

These significant investments are producing real capabilities - and we're already seeing that European Allies and Canada are more capable and take more responsibility for our security. This includes taking on more key leadership roles in NATO's military structures as well as shouldering more in the context of what NATO might need to deter in peacetime and defend in crisis or conflict.

And here I want to highlight what is truly a sign of success in how NATO is evolving. You will likely have seen news of the US adjusting its contributions to the NATO Force Model. In some cases, this has been cast as a problem - as the US pulling away from its Allies.

But that is not the reality.

The US has made clear that it is committed to NATO.

That commitment comes with an expectation that Allies will more fairly share the responsibility for our security here in Europe.

They have made clear that the US nuclear deterrent is solid.

And that it is crucial that Europe and Canada do more on the conventional front, understanding that the US has obligations around the globe that it needs to account for.

We have looked at the division of labour in the context of conventional forces, and we see that European Allies and Canada are ready, willing, and able to do more.

Based on this, the United States has adjusted its pledges to the NATO Force Model.

This is not primarily about where forces and assets are currently, but about who would do what if our defence plans were activated.

Historically this was overly reliant on the US. Now the US has adjusted its pledged contributions - and other Allies have stepped up to contribute more.

And this is fair. This makes us stronger. And this is what NATO 3.0 is all about. A stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.

So, we are seeing more investment. We are seeing better burden sharing.

And we also know that, as we increase investment, it's not the money alone that matters. We need to ensure our men and women have what they need to keep us safe.

Ramping up defence investment means ramping up defence production. And we need this across the whole of the Alliance - on both sides of the Atlantic.

And we also know that the security environment is evolving, and NATO is evolving with it. We must harness the power of innovation.

We are working hand in hand with industry to ensure that supply meets demand, so that this Alliance maintains its cutting edge. NATO can do it because it's not just home to some of the biggest defence companies in the world, but also some of the most novel and innovative.

This makes us stronger and more secure while also creating jobs and economic growth. It is a real win-win.

Finally, with Russia's war in its fifth year, providing support to Ukraine remains a priority. Ukraine is demonstrating that the Russian war machine is not unstoppable, and is shifting the dynamics on the battlefield.

Together, Allies have given billions in artillery, and ammunition and aid, but it is crucial to continue this support to help Ukraine maintain its advantage.

This will be my message at the UDCG.

So, as you can see, we have plenty on the agenda. And I will be back tomorrow to tell you how it went.

But in the meantime, of course, I am ready to take your questions.