Defence Ministers from NATO member states to meet in Brussels today

Washington, Mar 16: Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers will convene for an "extraordinary" meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.

In a statement, it said Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar would fly to Brussels to take part in the meetings and hold bilateral talks with his counterparts.

The meeting, which would be labeled "extraordinary" by the alliance since it falls outside regularly scheduled engagements, would dovetail with the White House's tentative plans for US President Joe Biden to travel to Europe.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will be chairing the meeting.

The meeting would serve as a high-level show of force for NATO countries, which have forged a stronger bond in response to Russia's unprovoked attack on neighboring Ukraine. The U.S. has vowed to defend the entirety of the alliance, even in the case of accidental fire.