NATO – Meeting between Jean-Noël Barrot and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Brussels, March 10, 2026)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on March 9.

Against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, the minister shared France’s analysis of the situation and noted the means deployed by France in support of its partners in the region. He reiterated France’s support for maintaining NATO’s ballistic missile defense posture in response to the firing of an Iranian missile toward Turkey, a NATO ally country.

Looking ahead to the NATO summit in Ankara, which will be held on July 7 and 8, the Minister underscored the European commitment to strengthen its own defenses and engage in burden-sharing with the United States. He noted the key role played by the European Union in this regard. All of these efforts serve to shore up the Alliance’s European pillar, whose development is inextricably linked to the credibility of our deterrence and defense posture.

The Minister also stressed the importance of continuing our support for Ukraine and the progress that has been made by the Coalition of the Willing.
Following President Macron’s speech at Ile Longue on March 2, the Minister also addressed the main announcements that were made with regard to advanced deterrence, which would contribute to strengthening the alliance’s global deterrence and is fully complementary with NATO’s nuclear mission.