NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Luxembourg on 2 September 2025, meeting H.R.H. Grand Duke Henri, Prime Minister Luc Frieden, Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes, and Chamber of Deputies President Claude Wiseler. "You are a key contributor to NATO's innovation agenda... and invest in critical satellite capabilities," Mr. Rutte said, noting founding NATO member Luxembourg's hosting of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), and investments in multinational capabilities such as the Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meets with the Prime Minister, Luc Frieden and the Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes
Mr. Rutte welcomed Luxembourg's commitment to reach 2% of gross national income on defence by year's end, and emphasised the need to spend more in future, as agreed at the NATO Summit in The Hague. He thanked Luxembourg for over €250 million in military aid to Ukraine since 2022, including armoured vehicles, drones, and ammunition, plus support for NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package. Emphasising the importance of aid for Ukraine through NATO, he also welcomed Luxembourg's future participation in NATO's new Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.
"Thank you so much for the announcement to participate in that program; it is critical to help Ukraine defend itself. We have in a few weeks, already been able to channel two billion dollars of vital, lethal, sometimes also more defensive systems into Ukraine through this new program," said the Secretary General. During the visit, Mr. Rutte toured the Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) in Betzdorf for discussions on space and defence, and visited NSPA in Capellen for a townhall and facility tour.
