Nato set to approve new military purchases as part of defence spending hike

Nato defence ministers are set Thursday to approve plans to buy more weapons and military equipment to better defend Europe, the Arctic and the North Atlantic, as part of a US push to ramp up security spending.

The "capability targets" lay out plans for each of the 32 nations to purchase priority equipment like air and missile defence systems, artillery, ammunition, drones and "strategic enablers" such as air-to-air refuelling, heavy air transport and logistics.

"Today we decide on the capability targets. From there, we will assess the gaps we have, not only to be able to defend ourselves today, but also three, five, seven years from now," Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte said.

"All these investments have to be financed," he told reporters before chairing the meeting at Nato's Brussels headquarters. US President Donald Trump and his Nato counterparts will meet on June 24-25 to agree to new military spending targets.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that "to be an alliance, you've got to be more than flags. You got to be more than conferences. You need to keep combat-ready capabilities."  The targets are assigned by Nato based on a blueprint agreed upon in 2023 the military organisation's biggest planning shakeup since the Cold War to defend its territory from an attack by Russia or another major adversary.

Under the plans, Nato would aim to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days, although experts suggest the allies would struggle to muster those kinds of numbers.

The member countries are assigned roles in defending Nato territory across three major zones the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe.