Portugal and 11 fellow NATO members signed a joint declaration on Wednesday pledging to assume greater responsibility for maritime security across the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and Arctic Ocean. The document, released during the NATO summit in Ankara, commits the signatories — including Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom — to significantly expand naval capabilities over the coming decade and reinforce maritime exercises across the Euro-Atlantic region.
The declaration aims to strengthen maritime command structures and improve situational awareness among allied forces.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro portrayed his country as a reliable and proactive NATO ally, noting that Portugal reached the alliance's 2% of GDP defence spending target for the first time in 2025 and has increased defence investment by €1.6 billion since the Hague summit. Portugal is a founding member of NATO.
Separately, former minister Augusto Santos Silva argued it serves Portugal's national interest to participate in an international Arctic mission and said allies must firmly reject U.S. President Donald Trump's claims regarding Greenland.