Leaders of NATO member countries will hold a summit meeting in Washington from Tuesday to Thursday with an aim to strengthen aid to Ukraine.

NATO is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has now 32 member countries, as Sweden joined this year.

NATO leaders aim to stress the importance of the alliance in a commemorative ceremony on Tuesday.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the summit is expected to strengthen the Western alliance's role in military assistance for Ukraine. He says he expects NATO to coordinate training for Ukrainian troops and to supply weapons from its member nations. Stoltenberg also predicts the members will agree on financial support for military assistance to Kyiv.

Four non-member countries from the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan, have been invited to the summit to further deepen cooperation with NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also attend.

In Europe, there are concerns that if Donald Trump is elected the US president in November, it may impact the unity inside NATO. Trump has been voicing skepticism about the organization, insisting that its member countries rely too much on the US for their national defense.

Stoltenberg is expected to emphasize in the Washington meeting that NATO is an important tool for the US as well.