Photo: EPA
The United States is planning a new meeting of seven NATO countries in Poland to discuss the future of the alliance and the division of responsibility for its security, Politico reported, citing diplomats familiar with the preparations. The meeting is being organized by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby.
The format, known as the Bergen Group, includes the United States, Poland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands. Previous meetings were held in Bergen, Norway, with discussions involving senior military and defense officials.
According to media reports, Washington wants the group to open discussions on how NATO members should divide responsibility for the alliance’s future security and turn political commitments into concrete defense measures. Colby has described the Bergen Group as a selective format involving allies that are meeting their defense-spending commitments and have the resources and readiness to contribute.
The planned format has caused concern among some NATO members because the United Kingdom, France and the Baltic states were not invited. Their exclusion has prompted questions over the criteria used to select participants and whether the smaller format could deepen divisions within the alliance.
Polish MEP Adam Bielan said there were already many different formats for NATO cooperation and consultations, noting that the alliance was facing increasingly frequent challenges from Russia.
The meeting is expected to focus on defense capabilities and the future direction of NATO, while broader proposals developed by the smaller group could later be discussed by all alliance members. The Pentagon has not publicly confirmed all details of the reported meeting.
The discussions come as NATO strengthens contingency planning for potential hybrid attacks on its eastern flank and seeks to improve its ability to respond to Russia’s evolving drone and missile capabilities.
