NATO’s North Atlantic Council held a dedicated discussion on energy security with senior representatives from the International Energy Agency, the European Commission and the United States Department of Energy. Secretary General Mark Rutte hosted the meeting at NATO Headquarters.
Participants examined how energy supply affects military readiness and national resilience. NATO said armed forces require reliable access to fuel, while critical energy infrastructure and the supply chains for energy technologies and raw materials must remain functional during crisis or conflict.
Ukraine’s experience was central to the discussion. NATO pointed to Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as an example of how energy systems can become direct targets in modern warfare, creating risks for both civilian populations and military operations.
Rutte called for closer coordination between defence and energy decision-makers and argued that security considerations should be incorporated into energy policies across the Euro-Atlantic area. NATO increasingly treats energy resilience as part of the broader system required to sustain collective defence.