NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will travel to Berlin on Monday to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in his first visit to Germany as the alliance’s chief.
He is expected to be welcomed with military honors at the Chancellery in the German capital.
According to German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, the pair will discuss security policy in the Euro-Atlantic area.
Of particular security concern for the NATO countries at the moment is the recent addition of North Korean soldiers to Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, marking a new escalation of the conflict.
At least 8,000 North Koreans in Russia
US intelligence puts the number of North Koreans now near the front lines at about 8,000. While they have yet to engage in combat, the White House says they expect this to happen soon, and then more soldiers from the isolated country will follow.
There are also wider concerns about a North Korean army with experience in modern warfare.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not denied the presence of the North Koreans amongst his ranks, noting that Kyiv employs security personnel from NATO.
