German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that Russia's president understands only the language of force and that Tuesday's "historic" Nato summit in The Hague will aim to ensure peace in Europe for generations to come.
Merz told Germany's parliament hours before the summit was due to start that Vladimir Putin remained determined that Ukraine should be part of Russia, and he said Berlin would pay its "fair share" to defend Europe.
US President Donald Trump is on his way to the Hague for his first Nato summit since 2019 where all 32 leaders are set to commit to spending 3.5% of national output on defence and a further 1.5% on related infrastructure.
Ahead of a summit overshadowed by Israel-Iran conflict, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte told his European colleagues to stop worrying about the US commitment to the Western alliance and focus on investing in defence and supporting Ukraine.
He insisted the US president and senior leadership had a "total commitment" to Nato, that came with an expectation of matching American military spending.
