The global security situation at the beginning of 2026 remains extremely tense, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chairman of the NATO Chiefs of Staff, said at the opening of a two-day meeting of the Military Committee of the NATO Chiefs of Staff in Brussels, Report informs.
He noted that Russia's war against Ukraine continues, instability remains on NATO's southern borders, and cyber threats, including sabotage, disinformation, and hybrid attacks, are intensifying.
According to him, new technologies make such threats more widespread and difficult to track.
At the same time, the admiral emphasized that NATO's support for Ukraine has become more organized and systemic. In particular, the NATO mission to assist Ukraine's security and train Ukrainians is expanding, as well as the creation of joint analytical and training structures. He also noted international efforts to find paths to peace, including initiatives by the United States and a coalition of countries led by France and the United Kingdom.
Dragone noted that over the past year, NATO has strengthened its territorial defense measures, including through Operations Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry, and has also increased the scale and number of military exercises. "This demonstrates the Alliance's ability to provide deterrence and defense along its entire perimeter," he said.
He also noted that it is important that all NATO countries agreed to increase defense spending in accordance with decisions made at the summit in The Hague last summer.
"This meeting will focus on the readiness of the Alliance's forces, the development of military capabilities, cooperation with Ukraine, partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and Georgia, as well as interaction with the European Union," he concluded.