Brussels, 21 January 2026 — NATO’s Military Committee opened its first meeting of the year at Alliance headquarters with a strong reaffirmation of unity, deterrence and military readiness, set against an increasingly complex and strained global security environment.
In his opening remarks, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, described the start of 2026 as “extremely demanding” from a security perspective. Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, persistent instability along NATO’s southern neighbourhood, disruptions to trade routes and energy flows, and the daily reality of cyber attacks, sabotage and disinformation continue to shape the Alliance’s strategic outlook.
While highlighting these challenges, Admiral Cavo Dragone also pointed to renewed diplomatic and military efforts aimed at enabling peace in Ukraine. He referenced initiatives led by the United States and the so-called “Coalition of the Willing”, under the leadership of France and the United Kingdom, designed to anticipate Ukraine’s future security needs. Over the past year, NATO’s support for Kyiv has become more structured and coordinated through mechanisms such as NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, the Joint Analysis, Training and Education Center, and the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List.
From a military standpoint, the Chair underlined that NATO has strengthened its own defensive posture, citing the launch of Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry operations, as well as an increase in the scale and frequency of Allied exercises. These measures, he said, demonstrate a modern Alliance capable of deterring and defending threats across a full 360-degree spectrum. The decisions taken at the NATO Summit in The Hague last summer — including commitments by all Allies to increase defence investment — were presented as further evidence of long-term strategic resolve.
Yet beyond this display of cohesion and operational readiness, the war in Ukraine continues to raise fundamental strategic questions that remain largely unresolved.
After nearly four years of conflict, the military balance has stabilised without producing a decisive outcome or a clearly articulated political end-state. While NATO’s support has been crucial in preventing Ukraine’s defeat, it has not yet translated into a viable pathway towards a durable and secure peace. The risk, increasingly acknowledged in policy circles, is that the conflict becomes protracted or frozen, with devastating consequences for Ukrainian society.
Any sustainable resolution will ultimately require not only continued support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, but also a serious and realistic assessment of Russia’s strategic position and security perceptions. Without engaging with this dimension — however uncomfortable — diplomatic initiatives risk remaining tactical rather than transformative. Ignoring Russia as a central actor does not shorten the war; it risks prolonging it indefinitely.
At the same time, the broader repercussions of the conflict are being felt well beyond the battlefield. Across Europe, rising energy and food prices, combined with stagnant wages, are placing growing strain on households. This economic pressure is becoming a fertile ground for social tension and political instability, potentially undermining public support for long-term security commitments. The challenge for European governments is therefore not only external deterrence, but internal resilience.
Against this backdrop, NATO’s two-day meeting is set to address both immediate and longer-term priorities. Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is expected to present an assessment of readiness, deterrence and defence, while Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) will focus on accelerating the delivery of key capabilities to ensure forces remain prepared for future risks. Partnerships will also feature prominently on the agenda, including cooperation through the NATO-Ukraine Council, engagement with Indo-Pacific partners and Georgia, and coordination with the European Union.
In a personal reflection marking his first year as Chair, Admiral Cavo Dragone described cohesion as the Military Committee’s defining strength. Differences among Allies, he argued, are not a weakness but a source of resilience within a democratic Alliance.
The opening session concluded with an Act of Remembrance honouring service members from across the Alliance, Ukrainian soldiers, and the families who bear the enduring cost of military service. Addressing Allied citizens through the media, Admiral Cavo Dragone stressed that security is a shared responsibility — one that extends beyond political and military leaders to societies as a whole.
As NATO moves into closed-door discussions, the underlying challenge remains clear: maintaining unity and military strength while adapting strategy to ensure that current policies do not merely manage the conflict in Ukraine, but contribute meaningfully to the conditions for a lasting peace.
NATO navigates 2026, the challenge it faces is not solely military, but strategic and political. Unity and deterrence remain essential, yet they cannot substitute for a clearly defined end-state to the war in Ukraine. Without a renewed diplomatic horizon — one that accounts for the realities on the ground, the position of Russia, and the mounting social and economic pressures across Europe — the risk is that the conflict becomes permanent rather than resolved.
In this evolving context, leadership and credibility matter. The appointment of a new NATO Secretary General introduces an additional variable at a moment of heightened global tension, from Ukraine to the Arctic and Greenland. Perceptions of strategic autonomy, particularly in relation to the United States, will be closely scrutinised by Allies and partners alike.
Ultimately, NATO’s ability to adapt its strategy — not only to sustain the war effort, but to actively shape the conditions for a durable peace — will determine whether the Alliance remains a stabilising force or becomes locked into the management of an endless conflict.
