Ukraine war latest: Hegseth says NATO 5% security spend 'will happen' at start of defence meeting in Brussels

What this NATO meeting is about - and what it could mean for UK

It's a big week for diplomacy, and there are a number of issues to keep an eye on today.

NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels, with Europeans trying to push for continued support in Ukraine.

The US delegation, however, are there to insist allies spend more on defence.

Let's break that down...

Washington wants every NATO member to spend 5% of their GDP on defence.

That's not been taken so well by European states, with Germany describing that target as unrealistic and alliance chief Mark Rutte non-committal so far.

How 5% stacks up

That 5% isn't all tanks, planes and soldiers. It's roughly split between 3.5% on core defence and 1.5% on civil defence.

According to official figures seen by our Europe correspondent Adam Parsons, the US does not spend 5% of GDP on defence.

But they do nonetheless spend a huge amount. In fact, of the top 10 spenders in the world, not only are they first, but they spend more than the other nine combined.

"They have an enormous military industry," Parsons said.

"So the more money that the world spends on arms, especially in Europe, more money goes into the US economy."

What it would mean in the UK

Agreeing to that US demand would mean every £1 in £20 the government spends would go towards defence.

The UK is one of the biggest defence spenders in the world after the US, when it comes to percentage of GDP.

It's at 2.3% at the moment, but the government says that's going up to 2.5%, and they want it to be 3% by the end of the next parliament.

In other words, 5% is more than double what they're spending at the moment.

The UK, like everyone else, will be walking a tightrope today - reluctant to raise defence spending that much, but keen to keep the US onside.

As Parsons puts it: "It's about finance, it's about ideology, it's about politics, it's about defence.

"And it's all going to happen behind closed doors here at NATO today."

Ukraine says it will get €1.3bn for weapons production this year

Kyiv will receive €1.3bn from allies this year to boost weapons production, Ukraine's defence minister has said.

Posting on the Telegram messaging app, Rustem Umerov said the first tranche of €428m will come from Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Norway and Iceland.

"The money will soon be allocated to the production of Ukrainian weapons: artillery, strike drones, missiles and anti-tank weapons created in Ukraine for our soldiers," he said.

The problem facing NATO members as US calls for higher defence spending

As the former Dutch prime minister, NATO chief Mark Rutte will be well aware of the predicament facing the alliance's members.

Our Europe correspondent Adam Parsons says Rutte is an "adept politician" and knows why US calls to up defence spending are tough for European governments.

He added: "Because the natural question then is - what are you going to spend less on?

"Are you going to cut hospitals or schools or filling potholes in order to spend more on defence? 

"And, if the answer is yes, how did you sell that to voters?"

Russian minister claims bombers were damaged not destroyed in daring Ukrainian raid

Over the weekend, Ukraine said it had damaged and destroyed up to 40 Russian bomber planes in a daring attack deep in the country.

Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump in a telephone conversation yesterday that Moscow would have to respond to that mission.

But Russian officials are also seeking to play down its success. 

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state news agency TASS: "The equipment in question, as was also stated by representatives of the Ministry of Defence, was not destroyed but damaged."

"It will be restored," he added. 

The US assesses Ukraine's attack hit as many as 20 Russian warplanes, destroying around 10 of them, according to two officials.

As we said at the top of this post, that figure is about half the number estimated by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Footage was released of some of the surprise strikes, which you can watch below. It certainly seems hard to imagine some of the planes pictured could be repaired...

'It cannot be reliance', says Hegseth in remarks next to NATO chief

Some more to bring you now from Brussels, where NATO defence secretaries are meeting.

Pete Hegseth, from the US, has been sharing more in brief remarks with the media.

Standing alongside a nodding Mark Rutte - the alliance chief - he repeated Washington's call for allies to up their defence spending to 5% of GDP.

"Every shoulder has to be to the plough, every country has to contribute at that level of 5%, as a recognition of the nature of the threat," he said.

"It's that hard power that actually deters, and it can't just be US capabilities."

He added the US is "proud to be here" and to "stand with our allies", but the message will "continue to be clear".

"Deterrence, peace through strength, but it cannot be reliance," he said.

NATO will agree new capability targets today, alliance chief says

Mark Rutte has arrived at the meeting in Brussels, following the US defence secretary's appearance (see 6.49).

He's told reporters it is his prediction that "we will agree on capability targets".

That comes as the US demands members up their proportion of defence spending to 5% of GDP.

"What we will do today is to decide what do we need... to defend ourselves," Rutte said.

"So, as you know, to prepare for war, spend more. And when you originally prepared for war, you will not be attacked.

"That will be a considerable extra investment."

Merz meeting Trump for first time - will it be a Starmer love-in, or a Zelenskyy-style brush off?

Germany's chancellor will hold his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump today.

It's fair to expect Ukraine and the Middle East to form part of the agenda. 

We also know the pair will have a working lunch and early afternoon meeting before potentially holding a news conference.

What we don't know is whether Merz will emerge from this meeting smiling like Sir Keir Starmer, or fresh from a dressing-down like Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump hasn't been shy to criticise Germany in the past, calling the Germans "very bad" as he bemoaned "millions of cars they sell to the US".

However much he prepares, Merz's team knows he must expect the unexpected...

US defence secretary: We think NATO 5% defence and security spending commitment will happen

Pete Hegseth is in Brussels for a meeting with fellow NATO defence ministers.

Speaking to media briefly ahead of that summit, he said US allies have to be "combat-ready".

"So, we're here to continue the work that President Trump started, which is a commitment to 5% defence spending across this alliance, which we think will happen," he said.

Donald Trump has said NATO allies should boost investment in defence and security to 5% of GDP - a measure of national wealth - up from the current target of 2%.

We reported this week the alliance is expected to increase that proportion to 3.5%, and our security and defence editor Deborah Haynes said they're also set to agree to Trump's demand.

But there is room for smoke for mirrors in that extra 1.5% increase, as she explains in the link below...

Thousands lose power in Russian-held parts of Ukraine after drone attacks

Russia-installed officials in eastern Ukraine say power was cut to tens of thousands of people this morning.

That came after Ukrainian drones hit energy infrastructure in two regions, they said.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed governor of the Kherson region, said 68,000 residents lost power there.

In Zaporizhzhia, Yevgeny Balitsky said ten drones were shot down after targeting energy sites. He didn't give any figures.

Ukrainian attacks on Russian-held parts of the two regions cut power to about 700,000 people earlier this week, but electricity was quickly restored.

Toddler among five killed in overnight Russian drone attack, authorities say

A toddler was among five people killed in a Russian drone attack overnight in the northern region of Chernihiv, according to authorities.

Ukraine's state emergency service reports the attack targeted the city of Pryluky, killing a 16-month-old child and injuring six other people.

Those strikes, they added, caused "large-scale" fires in residential areas, destroying two buildings.

In Kharkiv, another 17 people were hurt in a separate drone attack, the group said, a total that includes four children.

Those strikes hit the city's Slobidskyi district, it added, and psychologists gave help to residents impacted.

-SKY NEWS