Nato summit live: Ukraine on the agenda as leaders gather in Washington

Here’s the schedule for today’s talks in Washington (all in local time).

8:15am: Nato secretary general’s doorstep

8:45am: Leaders’ doorsteps

10:40am: Nato secretary general’s address at the NATO Public Forum

12:15pm: Welcome ceremony

1pm: Meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of heads of state and government

2pm: Arrivals of heads of delegation from partner countries

4:30pm: Secretary general’s press conference

8pm: Social dinner for heads of state and government and their spouses

“I am committed to protecting our country and our allies,” the UK’s Keir Starmer said today as Nato leaders gather in Washington for talks.

Dick Schoof, the new Dutch prime minister, has said that “the war in Ukraine shows that Nato has lost none of its importance.”

“The Netherlands is a founding member of NATO and has always been a loyal and constructive Nato Ally,” he added.

The former Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, has been selected as the alliance’s next secretary-general.

European leaders at the Nato summit in Washington are focused on explaining to ordinary American taxpayers that the military alliance is worth the money, as the issue of burden-sharing has become a political football for both parties in the US – and threatens to become a serious stumbling block for the alliance should a second Trump administration come to power.

“There is a debate in the United States that the US are doing a lot to support Ukraine and Europe is not doing enough. If you look at figures, it’s actually a different picture. Europe is doing more than the United States: the financial support, military support we all have provided so far has been enormous … We are taking the security and defense seriously,” said Edgars Rinkēvičs, the president of Latvia, during a speech on Tuesday alongside former CIA director Leon Panetta and the Estonian defense minister, Hanno Pevkur. “It’s also very important to explain to the American public.”

In background briefings, European officials have said they have been concerned with political turmoil in the US and Europe. The US was among countries that pushed back against a multi-year financial pledge for military aid to Ukraine – in part because of the bitter fight in Congress over the Ukraine supplemental bill.

“We think that this is essential to signal that Europeans are taking a greater burden of their own security,” said another European official ahead of the summit. “And it’s an important message to Ukraine, to Russia – but also for domestic audience. Here in DC, we are aware of the sensitivity of that topic, and I think you can expect a lot of strategic communication on that next week.”

Read the full analysis by Andrew Roth and Julian Borger in Washington.

“We shouldn’t be afraid of our own strength,” said Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister who is set to serve as the EU’s next high representative for foreign affairs.

Five days after becoming the UK’s defence secretary, John Healey told a packed reception at the British embassy in Washington that Labour is “the party of Nato.”

As leaders gathered in Washington, the US president, Joe Biden, stressed the alliance “remains a bulwark of security.”

Keir Starmer will call on Nato countries to increase defence spending in response to rising global threats as he launches a major review setting out UK plans to spend tens of billions of pounds extra on the military.

The British prime minister will use Nato’s 75th-anniversary summit in Washington, his first international trip since winning power, to underline Britain’s “cast-iron” commitment to the defence alliance.

He will say that further increases in spending from allies will help Nato tackle the nature of today’s threats including Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, continued instability in the Middle East and the rise of authoritarian states.

A strategic defence review will be launched next week but is likely to take up to a year to complete, meaning growing pressure on Starmer to confirm a timetable for the UK to boost defence spending to its target of 2.5% of GDP.

In a statement before the summit, Starmer said:

There is no more important duty for me as prime minister than keeping the people of our country safe. At a time when we face multiple threats at home and abroad, we must make sure we are ready to defend ourselves. That’s why I have immediately ordered a root-and-branch review that will secure Britain’s defences for the future.

Working with our most important partners around the world, our strategic defence review will make sure the UK is sending a clear message to those who seek to undermine peace and democracy – you will not succeed.

Read the full story.

Good morning (or afternoon, if you’re following from Europe) and welcome to the Nato summit blog.

Stay tuned for the latest news, reactions and analysis as the defensive alliance’s leaders gather in Washington for a key summit.