NATO’s chiefs of defense are meeting at Bella Center in Copenhagen on Saturday, hosted by Danish Chief of Defence Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard, to turn decisions from the alliance’s summit in Turkey into concrete plans.
According to DR, Hyldgaard is hosting the annual conference between the alliance’s generals and military leadership in Copenhagen. The set task is to convert the political decisions taken by heads of state in Turkey into action, including support for Ukraine and purchases of military equipment.
NATO states that its Military Committee, the alliance’s highest military authority, is meeting at chiefs of defense level in Denmark from September 18 to 19, 2026. The agenda covers collective deterrence and defense, innovation and technology, and support for Ukraine.
Per the Danish Armed Forces, opening remarks are delivered by the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Danish Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus, and Hyldgaard. NATO’s published program lists the same speakers at Bella Center.
Hybrid warfare on the agenda
DR notes that the conference falls in the same week a Russian missile corvette fired signal flares close past a Danish military helicopter over the Baltic Sea. The helicopter was on a routine mission. The episode is cited as an example of the hybrid pressure now facing the alliance.
Sten Rynning, professor of international politics at the University of Southern Denmark, calls it a serious challenge. As reported by DR, he says NATO’s cohesion is tested every day by Russia, which is probing how far it can provoke without triggering conventional war.
Rynning told DR the operation risks undermining the alliance’s foundation, the treaty clause stating that an attack on one member is an attack on all. If allies disagree on when Russian pinpricks are serious enough for a joint response, the value of that unity falls. He hopes NATO is already drawing lines quietly, possibly in the cyber domain, without going public.
Pentagon questionnaire weighs on the room
DR reports that a written Pentagon questionnaire will also occupy the hall. European countries received it after the summer holidays, with detailed questions on their military capabilities and plans. It is said to serve as a basis for the American plan to withdraw forces from Europe.
Rynning describes the questionnaire as a shock maneuver by the United States. According to DR, it has created significant fear in Europe that a withdrawal will move too quickly, before European countries are strong enough on their own.
DR also notes that American General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top operational commander, is taking part in the Copenhagen meeting. He would lead the alliance if it came under attack, and is deeply involved in the planned American drawdown in Europe.
The conference is Denmark’s to chair, with Hyldgaard setting the agenda at Bella Center. Ukraine support and equipment procurement remain the formal follow-up items from the summit in Turkey.
