NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Brussels on Thursday to discuss final preparations for the Ankara Summit.
Rutte praised Norway’s role in NATO activities, including participation in air policing, contributions to NATO’s Forward Land Forces, and hosting major NATO exercises in the High North, the alliance press service reported.
“The Arctic and the High North are of growing strategic importance to our security. Norway’s expertise and leadership are essential to NATO’s posture in the region,” Rutte said.
Norway’s core defence spending rose to over 3% of GDP last year, up from just over 2% in 2024.
“This is truly impressive and exactly what we need to see across the Alliance,” Rutte stated, with NATO adding that Norway has committed to continue increasing defence investment in the coming years.
Support for Ukraine
Rutte also highlighted Norway’s support for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, including what NATO described as substantial contributions to the PURL initiative.
He welcomed a recent agreement between Norway and Ukraine to strengthen defence and security co-operation, including support for drone production.
“This will help strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and sustain its fight against Russian aggression,” Rutte emphasised.
