Nato marks 75th birthday as Russia’s war in Ukraine gnaws at unity

Two military personnel stand underneath the flags of Nato alliance members during a wreath-laying ceremony at Nato headquarters in Brussels (Virginia Mayo/AP)

Nato has marked 75 years of collective defence across Europe and North America, with its top diplomats vowing to stay the course in Ukraine as better armed Russian troops assert control on the battlefield.

The anniversary comes as the now-32-nation alliance weighs a plan to provide more predictable longer-term military support to Ukraine.