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NATO Military Committee Chiefs of Defense from 32 nations and military counterparts from 27 partner countries met at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels for a two-day session on January 15-16, 2025.

The meeting focused on bolstering NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, enhancing global military partnerships, and continued support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rute presided over the first session, along with Admiral Rob Bauer as the Chair of the Military Committee. Admiral Bauer highlighted the need for readiness to implement NATO’s evolving defense plans, stressing, that “sovereignty is not an abstract term” for Ukraine.

“Our support is not charity. It is in the political and military interests of the Alliance to do so. We need to show the world that democracy can and will win. And that democracy is worth fighting for,” Admiral Bauer stated.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte underscored the urgency of adopting a wartime mindset to prevent conflict, emphasizing the need to increase defense spending, strengthen global partnerships, and maintain steadfast support for Ukraine. “To prevent war, we need to prepare for it,” he declared.

Throughout the Meeting, the NATO Chiefs of Defense met with 27 NATO Partners to discuss military cooperation, interoperability, and information sharing.

The NATO partners from Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine, and the European Union attended the meeting.

Agenda Highlights

NATO’s readiness and defense planning: General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), provided an overview of NATO’s readiness, ongoing operations, and the status of support for Ukraine via the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).

War-fighting transformation: Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), briefed participants on NATO’s warfighting capabilities, the Defense Planning Process, and updates on the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training, and Education Centre (JATEC).

Global partnerships and interoperability: In sessions with representatives from 27 partner nations, the Chiefs of Defense discussed enhancing military cooperation, improving interoperability, and addressing cross-regional security challenges. Special sessions were held with operational partners, such as Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova, as well as Indo-Pacific partners, including Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, to explore strategies for addressing global instability.

Support for Ukraine: In a virtual meeting with Ukraine’s Chief of Defense, Oleksandr Syrskyi, NATO reaffirmed its strong support. Admiral Bauer reiterated, “It is in the political and military interest of the Alliance to support Ukraine not only now, but also in the future.”

Broader implications and future steps

The meeting underscored the importance of preparing NATO for future challenges by ensuring readiness for a multi-domain-enabled alliance by 2030. Discussions also covered the NATO Defence Planning Process and the implementation of standardized approaches to enhance interoperability with partners worldwide.

The final session, the NATO-Ukraine Council, marked a key moment of solidarity, demonstrating the Alliance’s long-term commitment to Ukraine amid ongoing aggression from Russia.

The Military Committee session concludes with a joint press conference, featuring Admiral Bauer, General Cavoli, and Admiral Vandier. By focusing on vigilance, readiness, and global collaboration, NATO continues to adapt to an era of pervasive instability, striving to secure the values of democracy and collective defense for the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond.

This was Admiral Rob Bauer’s last meeting as NATO Military Committee chair. On January 17, Italian naval officer Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone took over the position of Chair of the NATO Military Committee from Admiral Bauer.

Today, we bid farewell to the Chair of the Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer @CMC_NATO. Thank you for relentlessly working with Allies for our collective security and for amplifying the voices of over 3 million uniformed men and women who serve #NATO. pic.twitter.com/qSRRTX1aP9

— Mark Rutte (@SecGenNATO) January 17, 2025

During a special ceremony, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte thanked Admiral Rob Bauer for his years of dedicated service to the Alliance, and the NATO headquarters bid farewell to Admiral Bauer