NATO PA endorses higher defense spending targets, support for Ukraine

LJUBLJANA – The NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) on Monday issued a resounding appeal for Allied governments to push ahead with investment on defence, reinforce deterrence, particularly on the Alliance’s eastern flank, and enhance support to Ukraine. 

“As parliamentarians we need to make the case for increased investment in defence to our citizens,” NATO PA President Marcos Perestrello told the closing event of the Assembly’s annual session. “We need to continue investing in the forces and capabilities needed for collective defence, to prevent war, protect our freedom, and safeguard our way of life.” 

The Assembly, which gathers legislators from across the 32 Alliance member and partner countries, passed a raft of policy recommendations for NATO governments at the end of its four-day session in Ljubljana. 

It pressed Allies to implement their commitment to allocate 5% of gross domestic product on defence and security-related expenses by 2035; to continue boosting NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, particularly in the wake of airspace violations and other hostile Russian actions; and to provide “unwavering” support to securing a just and durable peace in Ukraine. 

“Investing in Ukraine’s long-term security is also an investment in our own security,” Perestrello said. “The outcome of this war will not only determine Ukraine’s future; it will also shape European security and, indeed, the global order.” 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the Assembly by videolink from Kyiv. The closing session was also addressed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, Vice-President of the Slovenian National Assembly Danijel Krivec, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Robert de Groot, and Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu of Kosovo. 

President Zelenskyy appealed for Allies to urgently bolster Ukraine’s air defences in response to a rise in Russian drone and missile attacks on population centres and energy infrastructure, which aim to intensify civilian suffering as winter approaches. 

“To cover up their failures on the ground, Russia has started a new wave of air terror against Ukraine, against our cities and civilian infrastructure,” he told the Assembly. 

“Their main targets are our energy systems. Every night, Russian missiles and drones hit power plants and transmission lines. This is a brutal attack on normal life. To defend against it, we need air-defence systems and missiles, air-defence systems we cannot fully produce in Ukraine.” 

In its resolution on Ukraine, the Assembly recommended “timely and continuous” supply of critical capabilities, including air-defence equipment, long-range precision weapons, and ammunition. It urged expanded and tightened sanctions on Russia and reaffirmed that Russia’s attempts to annex Ukrainian territory should never be recognised. 

“The security of our Atlantic area depends on us fulfilling our capability targets, especially when it comes to air defence and our continued support to Ukraine,” Prime Minister Golob told the Assembly. “The best investment in our collective security is investing in support to Ukrainian defence.”  

Among recommendations approved in Ljubljana, legislators urged a “five-fold” increase in air and missile defence on the Alliance’s eastern flank; stronger action to counter malign foreign influence seeking to undermine stability in the Western Balkans; investments in societal resilience to protect against hybrid threats; transatlantic economic coordination to maximise the impact of defence spending; and heightened innovation to maintain an edge in drone warfare. 

Secretary General Rutte warned that Allies must not underestimate the threat from Russia, despite its failures on the battlefields of Ukraine. 

He appealed for support in ensuring national authorities meet defence spending targets, noting that a new generation of high-speed Russian missiles threaten all Allies regardless of their location: “We are all on the Eastern flank, now,” Rutte cautioned. 

“We must keep up the tempo […] I count upon you, as parliamentarians, to make the case with your public and encourage your governments to keep up with their commitments,” he added. “You all play a vital role to keep NATO’s one billion people safe.” 

The Assembly appointed Benedetta Berti as its new Secretary General and paid tribute to her predecessor Ruxandra Popa, who had held the post since 2020.  

“Ruxandra has made a sustained and profound contribution to the work of the Parliamentary Assembly,” Perestrello said. “[She] made sure that the Assembly’s voice gets heard – in our parliaments, in governments and at NATO – and that we moved the needle in the last few years.” 

The NATO PA will hold its next session 29 May – 1 June 2026, in Vilnius, Lithuania. 

The Assembly, though institutionally separate from NATO, serves as an essential link between NATO and the parliaments of the NATO nations. It provides greater transparency of NATO policies and fosters better understanding of the Alliance’s objectives and missions among legislators and citizens of the Alliance. Throughout 2025, the Assembly celebrates 70 years of parliamentary diplomacy. 

 Press queries: press@nato-pa.int