(L-R) Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence; Tom Goffus, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations;
Credit: MAE
On Wednesday 15 October 2025, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, participated in the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels, Belgium.
According to Luxembourg's Directorate of Defence, the ministers discussed strengthening the deterrence and defence posture following the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in The Hague in the Netherlands in June 2025.
Faced with hybrid threats and recent violations of Euro-Atlantic airspace by Russian drones and fighter jets, NATO has strengthened its vigilance and defence posture on the Eastern Flank and in the Baltic Sea. The ministers discussed NATO's response and the measures and capabilities needed to ensure the security of the Euro-Atlantic area. Minister Backes is said to have welcomed the Allies' "swift, decisive and coordinated response to Russia's irresponsible behaviour". She emphasised: "The ongoing work in the field of air and missile defense is of crucial importance. Luxembourg, by achieving its capability goals, will play an active role in this area in the future."
That same day, the 31st meeting of the "Ukraine Defense Contact Group" (UDCG) took place at the NATO Headquarters. At the UDCG, chaired by the Defence Ministers of Germany and the United Kingdom, the Defence Ministers of Ukraine's partner countries discussed with their Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, the situation on the battlefield, priorities for the Ukrainian Armed Forces' equipment needs and military support for Ukraine.
"The Russian President's message is clear: Russia is not interested in peace. Our response is equally clear: we will not give in and our support for Ukraine will continue for as long as necessary," said Minister Backes. During this meeting, she also announced that Luxembourg will contribute €15 million to NATO's "Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List" (PURL) programme.
That evening, Minister Backes participated in a meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Council in its "Defence" configuration. This working dinner focused on increasing European defence strength and decisively strengthening European defence preparedness, as well as Ukraine's integration into various European initiatives. During her speech, Minister Backes presented the satellite capabilities of Luxembourg's Directorate of Defence, which it intends to make available to the EU and its Member States.
