Brussels, 15 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) — NATO defense ministers are to meet in Brussels on Thursday for a two-day gathering focused on support for Ukraine and joint efforts to stock up weapons and ammunition.

The event is the last high-level meeting ahead of NATO’s annual summit held in Vilnius in July where the alliance’s relationship with Ukraine and defence spending will be high on the agenda.

Under discussion is a potential raise of defense spending pledges by members from currently 2% of the countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) to 2.5%.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is to join ministers on Thursday for a meeting of the so-called Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which coordinates arms deliveries to Kyiv.

This meeting, which is also be attended by non-NATO countries, is led by the United States, as NATO itself does not provide lethal weapons to Ukraine.

NATO ministers are expected to discuss how to deepen ties in the coming years with Reznikov, whose country aspires to become an alliance member.

On Friday, ministers are to discuss new regional defense plans aimed at better defending the alliance's territory in the event of an attack.

The plans are part of the alliance’s aim to strengthen NATO defense and deterrence capacities in Eastern Europe amid Russia's war in Ukraine.

The meeting is overshadowed by Turkey's continued blocking of Sweden's admission to NATO.

Sweden hopes to become a member of the defense alliance by its summit in Vilnius, which is becoming increasingly unlikely as all member countries have to agree to admitting a new member.