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Speech by Dutch Minister Brekelmans of Defence at EU Heads of Mission in The Hague

Speech | 16-06-2025

Your excellencies, ambassadors,

Thank you to our Polish hosts for convening this meeting. It is a privilege to speak to such a distinguished group, united by a common purpose: strengthening Europe’s role in ensuring our collective security.

In just a week, The Hague will host the NATO Summit. For the first time in the Netherlands in 76 years. This is a great honour for our country and a historic opportunity for our Alliance.

But more importantly: it is a summit with real impact. For defence. For deterrence. And for the future of the transatlantic bond.

During the summit, we will host the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF). A high-level gathering of NATO, EU allies, IP4 partners, and industrial leaders. The goal is clear: align political ambition with industrial capability. Because time is not on our side.

The war in Ukraine has entered its fourth year. And despite heavy losses, Russia shows no intention of stopping. On the contrary – its military-industrial complex has shifted to a complete war economy. Recruitment has increased. Ammunition factories run around the clock. Moscow receives support from North Korea, drones from Iran, dual use goods and economic cover from China.

This is not just a war between 2 militaries. It is a war of industries. A war of innovation. A war of values. And of course, a war of attrition and endurance.

When I visited Dnipro recently – in southeastern Ukraine – I arrived just hours after a major drone strike. Buildings were still smouldering. The commander of the Eastern troops in the Donbas told me: I have been at war for 11 years. Every single day. But the fighting has never been this intense. But he and his soldiers did not ask for pity. They asked for drones, ammunition, armed vehicles, spare parts, for air defence.

They asked, in short, for unwavering support.

And that is necessary, because their fight is also our fight. We need to understand: the future of European security is being decided in real time. With real consequences.

Let me be frank: Europe has come a long way. But we are not where we need to be.

Yes, European countries are increasing defence spending. Yes, we are sending equipment to Ukraine. Yes, the industry is ramping up and producing more than before. But our military capabilities are still too limited, are readiness too low, our industrial capacity too small and fragmented, and our regulatory environment too complex and outdated.

The new NATO Capability Targets 25 are a step change. These are not symbolic aspirations. They are operational requirements. Meeting them will require us to:

  • Invest at least 3.5% of GDP in core defense, and 1.5% in defence-related areas. We made this financial assessment in The Netherlands, as requested by parliament.
  • Deliver concrete force packages, tailored to each country's role in the Alliance;
  • And prepare our forces and industries to scale up faster.

At the same time, we need to address the hybrid domain. From sabotage of undersea cables to cyberattacks on hospitals and universities: we are under attack, even if the battlefield looks different.

In the Netherlands, we are responding with urgency. Just 2 weeks ago, our government submitted a new Defence Readiness Act to Parliament. This legislation will allow us to accelerate deployment in times of crisis, cutting down legal red tape that currently hampers our ability to act fast.

We also published our new Defence Strategy for Industry and Innovation (2025–2029). On top of all big investements in defense equipment, this strategy stimulates the industry with 150 million per year and focuses on 5 priority areas:

  • Smart materials
  • Sensors and radars
  • Quantum technology
  • Space
  • Intelligent systems, including AI and unmanned platforms.

In support of this, we are launching 2 dedicated offices this year:

  • A dedicated Government-to-Government coordination office, enabling allies to bundle demand and place joint orders more effectively, and
  • A Business Development Office to help our companies connect to multinational supply chains.

Moreover, we are expanding Defport, our public-private innovation platform, which brings together Defence, academia, and industry to jointly solve capability bottlenecks. From munitions production to drone countermeasures.

Excellencies,

The European Union has a vital role to play. The recent White Paper on Defence offers a blueprint for action and aims to suppot a more capable, fully ready European Defence by 2030. We're taking action through increased investment, legal reforms, and stronger industrial cooperation.

A good initiative is the defence omnibus. It aims to deregulate the defense industry. But given the legal obstacles we face, it’s not enough. The Netherlands, together with 10 other EU member states, has proposed widening the scope to remove obstacles to military readiness, not just industrial bottlenecks.

Because ultimately: what good is a tank if it cannot be deployed? What good is a satellite if its data cannot be shared?

Let’s use the full power of the EU, including its internal market, regulatory instruments, and financing tools, to empower defence rather than slow it down.

Let me be very clear: a stronger Europe strengthens NATO.
Greater European responsibility is not a retreat from transatlantic ties, it is a reinforcement of them.
And responsibility is something we owe not only to Washington, but to Warsaw, to Vilnius, to Kyiv, and to all citizens of Europe, including in the Netherlands.

I welcome the efforts to deepen EU-NATO cooperation, especially in areas like hybrid threats, cyber defence, and industrial resilience.
Let’s make sure our planning cycles, our procurement systems, and our innovation platforms are not duplicating effort but reinforcing each other.

Let’s also ensure that third countries – like the US, UK, Canada and Norway – can continue to participate in EU-funded programmes, especially where their capabilities are critical to joint projects.

This brings me to my ask to you, the representatives of our fellow EU member states. I ask you to consider the following:

  1. Support bold conclusions at the NATO Summit, especially around capability targets and the necessary follow-up investments.
  2. Use your national weight to shape EU instruments for action, not just administration. Let’s make SAFE, the Defence Omnibus, and the European Whitebook on Defence Readiness truly operational.
  3. Break down the remaining barriers to cross-border cooperation. Especially in the Defense industry. We need to bring both our military demand and industrial supply together, so we can create mutually benificial investement packages. We can grow the cake together, which is positive for our joint security and economic growth and innovation.


Excellencies,

When the Maastricht Treaty was signed 1992, it laid the foundation for the EU and a new era of European integration. I believe the NATO Summit in The Hague has the potential to do the same, but in the domain of security.

If we seize this moment, Europe will no longer be a junior partner in its own defence. We will be a full pillar of the Alliance. A source of strength, not only to ourselves, but to our partners across the Atlantic and beyond.

Let us not miss this moment to go beyond declarations.
Let us align our national efforts, link our supply chains, and use our instruments to deliver real capability, real deterrence, and real resilience.

We often say that Europe is an economic powerhouse. Let’s now prove that we are a security actor as well. One that can shape its own future, defend its values, and protect its people.

Thank you.