Kuwait City: A high-level meeting of the Weimar Plus group foreign ministers was launched Thursday in Rome, chaired by Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The talks brought together top diplomats and senior officials from Germany, Poland, Ukraine, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the gathering was described by Italy's Foreign Ministry as "the first ministerial-level meeting under the expanded 'Weimar Plus' format," now including NATO. This reflects a growing push for tighter European and transatlantic coordination in response to ongoing security threats. The Weimar Plus format is an extension of the traditional Weimar Triangle composed of France, Germany, and Poland, and serves as a key moment of coordination in preparation for the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.
The first working session of the meeting will focus on Euro-Atlantic security, offering participants an opportunity to reaffirm unity, a shared vision on defense and collective security, and a commitment to strengthening the European pillar of the Atlantic Alliance while maintaining strong transatlantic ties. The second session will reaffirm the partners' support for Kyiv in achieving a just peace that ensures appropriate security guarantees for Ukraine.
With Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha in attendance, participants will reiterate their ongoing commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people, identifying a credible path to peace and initiating the country's reconstruction. On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, bilateral meetings are scheduled between Minister Antonio Tajani and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha.
Launched in February 2025, the Weimar Plus initiative came in direct response to changes in U.S. policy on the Ukraine war and the broader transatlantic security structure under President Donald Trump. It aims to boost European strategic autonomy, particularly by continuing military and economic support for Ukraine and increasing national defense spending across member states.