NATO HQ Latest News

The NATO Through Time podcast dives deep into NATO’s history, reflecting on how the past influences the present – and future – of the longest-lasting alliance in history. This episode features Dr Florence Gaub, futurist and Director of the Research Division at the NATO Defense College, as she looks ahead to the future of NATO – from 2025 to 2099.

Secretary General Mark Rutte released holiday greetings to NATO troops on Friday (20 December 2024), thanking them for their service and sacrifice. “It is because of you that we are free and safe to celebrate this season.”

NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, visited Bulgaria today (19 December 2024), where he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Kondov, and the Minister of Defence, Atanas Zapryanov, and with personnel from the NATO Multinational Battle Group at the Novo Selo Range Army Base.

NATO’s highest Military Authority, the Military Committee, will meet in person on 15 and 16 January 2025 in Brussels. Allied Chiefs of Defence will meet with over 20 of their counterparts from NATO Partner nations. The meeting will be presided by Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the Military Committee and supported by General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT).

On 18 October 2024, Allied Defence Ministers endorsed NATO’s Approach to Counter Information Threats. This will strengthen the Alliance by establishing a well-connected and interoperable approach to identify, prevent and respond effectively to information threats.

On Thursday, 19 December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will travel to Bulgaria.

Belgian national Eddy Groenen served as Deputy Legal Advisor at NATO for more than 30 years, working behind the scenes to shape the Alliance’s legal affairs. He was consulted on major documents and agreements with partner countries, providing legal advice and overseeing the signing of numerous memoranda. Read on to learn more about some developments that influenced his work, and how important the North Atlantic Treaty and NATO are to him.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda to NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (18 December 2024), to discuss NATO’s deterrence and defence and support to Ukraine.

NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, met with the Chair of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Presidency, Željka Cvijanović, today (18 December 2024), at NATO Headquarters. He reiterated the Atlantic Alliance’s firm commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to regional stability, and NATO’s readiness to further strengthen cooperation.

Allies agreed NATO’s common-funded budgets for 2025 at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Tuesday (17 December 2024). These budgets enable a range of NATO structures and activities, from ensuring a well-functioning command structure and improving interoperability and readiness to supporting cooperation with partners and more.

From 1 to 6 December 2024, NATO Defence Capacity Building (DCB) experts visited Nouakchott to support the implementation of key initiatives of Mauritania’s DCB package, including in support of special operations forces (SOF), maritime security, intelligence, military career transition, military education and addressing challenges related to small arms and light weapons.

On Wednesday, 18 December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet the Prime Minister of Croatia, Mr Andrej Plenković, at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.

On Wednesday, 18 December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will receive the President of Lithuania, Mr Gitanas Nausėda, at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.

On Wednesday, 18 December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will receive the President of Ukraine, Mr Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at his official residence in Brussels.

The North Atlantic Treaty was signed on 4 April 1949 by NATO’s 12 founding members. In the 75 years since, the Alliance has grown to include 32 Allies from Europe and North America. Throughout 2024, NATO Allies celebrated the Alliance’s 75th anniversary – and the anniversaries of their accessions to NATO – by painting murals, playing music, sharing birthday cake and bringing NATO blue to every corner of the Alliance.

On Wednesday, 18 December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet the Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms Željka Cvijanović, at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.

On Tuesday, 17 December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, the Honourable Penny Wong, at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.

On Monday (16 December 2024) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed Montenegro's Prime Minister Milojko Spajić to NATO Headquarters. The Secretary General thanked the Prime Minister for his country's support to NATO’s military presence in Latvia and Bulgaria, its peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and training mission in Iraq. He also praised Montenegro's commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence this year.

On Monday, 16 December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet with the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Mr Milojko Spajić, at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels.

In 2024, photographers from across the Alliance took thousands of pictures documenting NATO’s historic 75th anniversary year. They captured the magnitude of landmark political events like the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington D.C., the grit and cooperation of Allied troops conducting NATO exercises, and other moments of beauty, unity and humanity. We chose four of our favourite photos and put them to a vote on social media, asking the public to choose NATO’s photo of the year for 2024. And the winner is...