NATO's secretary general is in Oxfordshire today and is expected to describe the UK as being "serious about security".
Mark Rutte will give a lecture at the Ditchley Foundation in Enstone about the future of the transatlantic alliance.
He will also meet with the Prime Minister Andy Burnham face to face for the first time on Wednesday.
“It is leading, along with NATO allies, the push back against Russia’s dangerous and reckless campaign against us,” Mr Rutte will say on his visit to Enstone.
He will add: “Collectively we will continue to strengthen our ability to deter and defend all allies, against any threat.
"NATO will not be intimidated by Russia’s campaign of hostile actions. Russia wants to stop us helping Ukraine – but their actions will only lead us to do more for Ukraine.
"Russia’s actions are a sign of weakness, and a symptom of Putin’s failure in Ukraine."
Elsewhere in his speech, Mr Rutte will address the changing nature of the military alliance.
NATO allies have agreed to hike their defence spending to five per cent of economic output by 2035, amid burgeoning threats from Russia and China, and demands from Donald Trump’s America that European member states invest more in their own security.
Mr Rutte will say: “To stay transatlantic, Nato is becoming more European. A NATO with Europe, and Canada, spending more, producing more, and doing more for their security. This is the idea of NATO 3.0.
“Building for the future. A stronger Europe, in a stronger Nato.”
While a specific public guest list is not released beforehand, the audience traditionally consists of a highly curated group of 40 to 50 global leaders and experts.
Enstone's hosting of this annual event on the historic Ditchley Park estate is deeply symbolic.
It is aligned with the core themes of the "NATO 3.0" speech for several historic and institutional reasons
The Ditchley Foundation was established at the estate in 1958 with the enduring mission to support and maintain the transatlantic alliance between the United States and Europe.
During the early years of World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously used Ditchley Park as a secret, heavily guarded weekend retreat.
For decades, the estate has functioned as a secluded, "closed-door" briefing ground designed to bring together global leaders, military strategists, and policy experts.
The privacy afforded by the 300-acre estate in rural Oxfordshire allows for high-level, candid security briefings away from the immediate political noise of London.
Share