Nato summit in Wales - US forming 'core coalition' to fight Isis: Politics live blog

And here’s what is says about spending.

1. We agree to reverse the trend of declining defence budgets, to make the most effective use of our funds and to further a more balanced sharing of costs and responsibilities. Our overall security and defence depend both on how much we spend and how we spend it. Increased investments should be directed towards meeting our capability priorities, and Allies also need to display the political will to provide required capabilities and deploy forces when they are needed .... Taking current commitments into account, we are guided by the following considerations:
• Allies currently meeting the NATO guideline to spend a minimum of 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defence will aim to continue to do so. Likewise, Allies spending more than 20% of their defence budgets on major equipment, including related Research & Development, will continue to do so.
• Allies whose current proportion of GDP spent on defence is below this level will:
  • halt any decline in defence expenditure;
  • aim to increase defence expenditure in real terms as GDP grows;
  • aim to move towards the 2% guideline within a decade with a view to meeting their NATO Capability Targets and filling NATO’s capability shortfalls.
• Allies who currently spend less than 20% of their annual defence spending on major new equipment, including related Research & Development, will aim, within a decade, to increase their annual investments to 20% or more of total defence expenditures.

This chart shows how much Nato countries currently spend on defence.

I’ve taken the chart from a very useful blog on the subject by the BBC’s Mark Urban.

Q: Would an independent Scotland be welcome in Nato?

Cameron says questions about what an independent Scotland would do are for Alex Salmond. There has been “total confusion” about whether it would be able to join Nato or the EU.

He says his message to the Scots is that the rest of the UK wants them to stay.

At a Nato conference, you reflect on the dangers facing the world. Isn’t it better to be part of a country like the UK, which is part of every single alliance that matters in the world.

Cameron ends with a thank you to the staff at Celtic Manor, to the police, to the armed forces, and to the people of Wales who have given such a “warm welcome” to the world.

Q: Are the 10 countries of the “core coalition” countries prepared to take military action? If not, what does this phrase mean?

Cameron says there was great unity at the summit.

For Britain’s part, he does not rule anything out.

It is important that whatever is done is done as part of a comprehensive plan.

(I think that was a roundabout way of saying “yes” to the first question.)

Q: Do you agree with John Kerry that the fight against Isis will last up to three years, that you go to the UN soon and that it will take real military commitment?

Cameron says he agrees with the points Kerry has been making. He thinks Isis can be squeezed effectively. But he has said many times that he thinks this is generational problem. The cause of the problem is “the poisonous narrative of Islamist extremism”, he says.

As for going to the UN, he says he thinks the more the UN can say to back a new UN government, and to condemn extremism, the better.

There has already been military commitment, he says. Clearly it is required. He has said nothing is ruled out. Anything being done must be part of a comprehensive plan.

He stresses the need for an Iraqi government that is truly representative. “You cannot over-estimate how important that is,” he says.

Q: RUSI says Britain’s defence spending will fall below 2% next year. Did you make any commitments at the summit?

Cameron says the UK is one of only four Nato countries to meet the 2% target. The others are: Estonia, Greece and the US.

For the first time, Nato leaders are signing a commitment saying they aim towards the 2% guideline.

That was “hard fought”, he says.

A lot has been achieved here: a genuine rapid reaction force; proper training partnership with countries like Jordan, and in time Iraq: and a pledge on 2% spending.

Q: Won’t dealing with Isis involve dealing with the situation on the ground in Syria? Is a deal with Assad off the table?

Cameron says Assad is part of the cause of the problem. His brutality has led to some of the people of Syria seeking solace in an extremist movement.

He also thinks it is important for the UK to preserve its moral authority.

In Syria, there must be a transition to a new regime.

Cameron is now taking questions.

He says the ceasefire in Ukraine is good news. A peace plan would be better news. But the sanctions will go ahead.

Q: Isn’t Putin getting away with aggression?

Cameron says he does not accept that.

Putin’s actions have been totally unjustified.

Hopefully there will be some form of peace process. But we should be “absolutely clear” that we will not accept the partition of Ukraine.

He says he would challenge the view that the west, and America, have been weak. It is best to focuse on the pressure you can bring to bear. That comes from economic sanctions.

And he turns to the Nato military covenant - an idea he has championed.

Fourth, as our troops return from Afghanistan so it is right that we do all we can to support them and their families.

We are the first British government to write the Military Covenant into the law of our land a military covenant.

We have doubled the operational allowance for our service personnel...

...introduced free higher and further education scholarships for bereaved service children...

...invested £200 million in helping our service personnel to buy homes...

...increased the rate of council tax relief...

... signed up every local government in support...

...and given unprecedented support to military charities.

Today we have taken this Covenant internationally...

...with every NATO Member signing up to a new Armed Forces Declaration to honour and look after those whose work and sacrifices have delivered our peace and security over the last 65 years.

You can read the Nato military covenant document in full here. (I must say, it does look a bit thin.)

Next, Cameron turns to the fight against Isis (or Isil as he calls it - our house style is Isis).

Third, we were clear about the new threats we face, principally Islamist extremism.

Everyone remembers the divisions around the world over the Iraq War ten years ago.

There were no divisions here.

The NATO Alliance is clear about the threat we face...

...the scale of that threat....

...and the fact that we must use all the instruments at our disposal – humanitarian, diplomatic and military.

We have agreed to offer a NATO training mission for Iraq as soon as a new Iraqi government is in place.

The fight against ISIL must be led by the Iraqis themselves.

But we will continue to encourage countries in the region to support this effort...

...and to work with our partners on the ground to take all necessary steps to squeeze this barbaric terrorist organisation out of existence.

This will take time, patience and resolve.

We will proceed carefully and methodically, drawing together the partners we need, above all in the region, to implement a comprehensive plan.

Cameron turns to Nato reform.

Second, NATO needs to be even stronger.

Britain is one of only four countries that currently spends 2% of its GDP on defence.

But others will now do more.

With today’s Wales Pledge every NATO member not spending 2% will halt any decline in defence spending...

...and aim to increase it in real terms as GDP grows, and to move towards 2% within a decade.

But it’s not just the amount of money that matters...

...it’s also about spending on equipment you can deploy.

So we have agreed that a fifth of defence budgets should be dedicated to major new equipment.

Here in Britain we have the second largest defence budget in NATO and the biggest in the EU.

We have taken longer term decisions to put our defence budget on a sustainable footing.

And the fruits of this are now coming through.

We are equipping all three of our services with the best and most modern military hardware money can buy ...

Our brand new aircraft carrier – HMS Queen Elizabeth – was named by Her Majesty in July and has now left her dry dock and is being fitted with her combat systems.

She will be the mightiest ship the Royal Navy has ever put to sea, able to protect and project our interests across the globe for decades to come.

And today I can announce that the second carrier – HMS Prince of Wales – will also be brought into service.

This will ensure that we will always have one carrier available, 100 per cent of the time.

David Cameron is opening his press conference.

He says the summit has shown Nato “strong and united.

And he turns to Russia.

First, there has been a clear message to Russia that what President Putin is doing is indefensible and wrong.

While we meet here in Newport, a package of sanctions is being finalised in Brussels that will further increase the economic cost to Russia for its behaviour.

We stand firmly behind Ukraine’s right to make its own decisions, not to have them dictated by Russian tanks rolling over the border.

And we will continue our efforts to support Ukraine, including by providing financial assistance to improve their command, control and communication capabilities.

NATO members across Europe – particularly in Central and Eastern Europe – have been reassured that this is an Alliance that will meet its treaty obligations to come to the defence of any member under threat.

No-one will leave here with any doubt that our collective security is as strong as it has ever been.

The Alliance is firmly committed to providing ongoing reassurance to our Eastern Allies.

The UK will contribute 3,500 personnel to exercises in Eastern Europe between now and the end of 2015 as part of NATO’s effort to ensure a persistent presence on our Eastern flank.

We have also agreed to step up NATO’s ability to respond quickly to any threat with a new multi-national spearhead force deployable anywhere in just 2 to 5 days.

The UK will provide a battlegroup and a brigade headquarters and I hope other nations will set out their plans too, backing communique words with concrete action.

Q: You said members agreed to a pledge on defence spending. But originally the draft spoke of a commitment. And will spending in kind count?

Rasmussen says “commitment” could imply legal commitment. That is not what was went. The document talks about aiming to do this. But that’s how politics works.

Yet there is still force in something signed by 28 heads of state and government.

This is the first time that heads of state and government have issued such a statement.

It has not been watered down.

It is as strong as it can be in a political world.

He says the way leaders argued about this showed that they accepted there had been change.

The press conference is still going over, but I’m flipping over to David Cameron’s press conference.

Q: How can you trust Putin’s peace plan?

Rasmussen says he has always been a bit cautious in relation to these peace plans. Based on experience, we know there is a difference between a declaration and its implementation.

But he would welcome it if this marks a sincere attempt to stop the violence, he says.

Q: Are you disappointed by the agreement on spending?

No, says Rasmussen.

He knew that getting countries to spend more could not be done overnight.

Having a 10-year timetable is reasonable.

And defence spending is a long-term issue, he says. It takes time to develop capabilities.

He does not think the 10-year deadline will be used as an excuse for delay. Some countries are going to start spending more money soon.

Q: What do you say to a statement from Moscow that this summit is about Nato fulfilling its long-standing aim to put troops on the ground in eastern Europe?

Rasmussen says he is not surprised. All this has been provoked by Russia’s illegal military actions in Ukraine, plus their claim that they reserve the right to intervene in other countries, to protect the rights of Russian-speaking communities.

These statements have provoked a lot of concern in Baltic countries, he says.

Back to Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s press conference.

Q: That 2% target has been around for many years. Why will it be met now?

Rasmussen says what is new is that heads of state and government have committed to working towards the 2% guideline.

There is also a timeline - doing it within a decade.

And this decision has been taken “in a completely new security environment”.

Russia’s aggression to Ukraine is a wake-up call ... It is now obvious we cannot take our security for granted.

Russia has increased its defence spending by 50% in recent years, he says, while Nato allies have decreased theirs by 20%.

So this is really a change, he says.

We have turned a corner.

Q: Who will lead the “spearhead” rapid-reaction force?

He says countries have expressed a willingness to join. There is no doubt it will be implemented, he says.

Q: What is your reaction to the Ukraine ceasefire?

He says he would really welcome it if a real ceasefire could be established.

It remains to be seen if this is the case. But “so far so good”, he says.

He hopes it will be the start of a political process.

I’m switching to Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president, who is holding his press conference now.

He says he wants a peaceful solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

Based on the protocol agreed, he has given an order for a ceasefire starting in half an hour’s time.

It is important to continue political dialogue during the ceasefire, he says.

There is a roadmap with a date for every 12 point in the protocol to be achieved.

He expects hostages to be released, most probably tomorrow.

There will be decentralisation of power, he says, and guarantees for language rights and for cultural freedoms.

He says he is “very satisfied” with the result of the Nato summit.

What was happening before was “absolutely unacceptable” in the 21st century, he says.

He stresses that this peace process is based on his peace plan, and on the territorial integrity of his country.

That’s it. He is not taking questions.

Rasmussen says Nato has taken historic decisions that will keep the alliance strong in an uncertain world.

But, when it comes to security, you get what you pay for, he says. And it does not come on the cheap.

Twenty four years ago Nato leaders met in London. Their vision was a Europe whole, free and a peace.

But now that is under threat, he says.

He says Nato leaders recognise they need to invest extra money. So they made a pledge.

They agree to reverse the decline in defence budgets and raise them over the coming decade.

They will aim towards the Nato guideline of spending 2% of GDP on defence, with a view to meeting Nato priorities.

Progress will be reviewed every year, he says. And this will remain on the agenda for every Nato summit.

There is much work to do. But the direction of travel is clear, he says.

Rasmussen says the alliance will continue to bind its members together.

Stoltenerg says being the next secretary general is a great honour.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary general, is speaking now.

He introduces Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister who will take over from Rasmussen in October.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary general, is about to give a press conference too. It will probably clash with Poroshenko’s. Somehow, I will try to do them both.

Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president, is about to give a press conference at the Nato summit.

Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, has reportedly announced that he is sending several dozen military advisers to Iraq to work alongside American forces.

Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, has said that Nato’s decision to beef up its presence in eastern Europe shows that its guarantees to its members are increasingly robust. According to Reuters, he made this comment earlier today on a visit in Poland.

This is a very powerful signal and our eastern neighbour [ie, Russia] cannot take this lightly. The NATO security guarantees have ceased to be guarantees on paper and are starting to become actual guarantees.

According to Spiegel Online, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, played a role in persuading Nato members not to abandon the Nato-Russia Founding Act.

Here’s an English version (courtesy of Google Translate) of the opening of the Spiegel story.

How do you tame Putin ? Some Nato countries wanted to terminate the Russia Founding Act . The contract prohibits the alliance permanently stationing combat troops in Eastern and Central Europe. Chancellor Merkel was against it - and prevailed.

General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, Nato’s deputy supreme allied commander Europe, has been speaking to reporter at the summit about the new “spearhead” rapid-reaction force.

A ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been agreed, my colleague Shaun Walker reports.

Leaders attending the Nato summit are being given goodie bags full of Welsh gifts. The Press Association has the details.

World leaders attending the Nato Summit will go home with a selection of Welsh-related gifts.

US president Barack Obama, German chancellor Angela Merkel and more than 50 other heads of state were all given goodie bags - which UK government officials hope will show off the principality’s products as well as its character.

Among the freebie items - from 25 Welsh businesses - include the credit card-sized and Bridgend-made Raspberry Pi computer, WRU rugby balls, and books of Dylan Thomas’s poetry.

A message from prime minister David Cameron inside the gift basket reads: “During this summit you will see many examples of Wales’ strong defence and aerospace sectors.

“Here are some fine examples of its strong heritage in craftsmanship and food too.

“From the poems of Dylan Thomas and the craftsmanship of the Royal Mint to produce being made today in Wales, I hope you will enjoy each of these gifts and be inspired by them to find out about all that Wales has to offer.”

My colleague Steven Morris also tells me that only four people have been arrested in Wales in relation to anti-Nato protests. Some 9,500 police officers have been on duty.

My colleague Steven Morris has been finding out what people in Newport feel about having the Nato summit on their doorstep. Generally, people are quite positive, he found. Here’s an extract from his story.

As the summit drew to a close, most residents, business people, local politicians and the police who were drafted into the area in their thousands were deeming the event a good thing.

“It’s got to be good for the city to have the world’s most powerful man in your town,” said Andrew Davies, as he watched Friday’s flypast of Nato planes over the Celtic manor golf resort, where the Nato leaders and their entourages were holed up.

Outside the fortified gates, guarded by gun-toting police officers and security services personnel, Roman Lukac – originally from the Czech Republic but now happily living in Newport, watched goings-on with his nine-year-old son, Kristian.

“We’ve been here quite a bit, just watching people coming and going. It’s good for the image of Newport that such an event can take place here.” Kristian was hoping to catch a glimpse of Barack Obama, who is the first sitting US president to set foot in Wales. “I think he’s cool,” he said ...

The disruption that many feared did not take place. There were some diversions and delays as people negotiated the miles of steel fencing set up to keep any terrorists and violent protestors away.

At the Waterloo Hotel in front of Newport’s historic transporter bridge, once used to ferry workers across from the city centre to the huge steel works, Bob Evans said his restaurant had been a little empty because locals had preferred to stay at home rather than risk being stuck in traffic chaos.

“But the hotel has been packed. I think the summit will have the same effect as the Ryder Cup [the golf competition hosted at Celtic Manor in 2010]. Some people may do a little bit of business during it but others profit long term because it puts us on the map.”

The BBC’s Mark Urban suggests there might be a link between the government’s stance on bombing Isis and the Scottish independence referendum.

Urban also reports that the UK and the US are unlikely to take up Lord Richards’ suggestion that the west should start cooperating in some way with Syria.

If the American ambassador is at the summit lunch, he’s not going to be happy.

Bronislaw Komorowski, the Polish president, has warmly welcomed the “spearhead” rapid-reaction force announcement. He told reporters:

We value very highly the fact that there is a progress in increasing the level of Nato readiness to create [a spearhead], including assigned forces that comprise around 5,000 troops for absolutely immediate reaction.

• Nato leaders have played down the significance of the proposed ceasefire in Ukraine and signalled that they intend to go ahead with a fresh round of sanctions against Russia. Measures covering banking, energy and defence are expected to be announced this afternoon. Philip Hammond, the UK foreign secretary, said there was “a great deal of scepticsm” about the ceasefire offer. And Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president, told the BBC that he was “absolutely not confident” about the ceasefire working.

• Nato has confirmed plans for a “spearhead” rapid reaction force intended to underline its commitment to protecting its members from an attack from Russia. Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the 4,000-strong “spearhead” in a statement at the start of his news conference. It would send a clear message to Moscow, he said.

Should you even think of attacking one ally, you will be facing the whole alliance.

It is understood the new force will be led by Britain and based in Poland. As the Press Association reports, a 1,000-strong battle group and headquarters for the first wave of the force which is due to become operational by the end of next year. Responsibility for generating the force will rotate among Nato members on a regular basis. In addition, Britain is contributing 3,500 troops to a series of planned Nato exercises running to the end of 2015.

• Nato has agreed to make cyber security a core part of its mission. This suggests that a large-scale cyber attack on one Nato member would be considered an attack on the whole alliance. In his statement Rasmussen said:

Today we declare that cyber defence is part of NATO’s core task of collective defence.

• Nato has agreed to take steps to bring Georgia closer to Nato membership. Georgia, Jordan and Moldova will strengthen their partnership with Nato. And talks will open on whether Montenegro should join. Russia will not be allowed to stop George joining, Rasmussen said. “No third country has a veto on enlargement,” he said.

• Nato members have agreed to share more information about jihadists returning to their countries from the Middle East.

• John Kerry, the US secretary of state, has announced that America is forming a “core coalition” of 10 countries, including the UK, to fight Isis.

• Philip Hammond, the UK foreign secretary, has tried to dampen the expectation of imminent air strikes by Britain against Islamic State (Isis), saying he knows of no plans being drawn up by the UK government. But he has also said the threat posed by Isis to the British hostage would not stop the government taking military action. He said:

We have to approach the challenge of [Isis] with focus purely on what is in Britain’s best interests - protecting our citizens and our security from the threat that Isil poses from foreign fighters, from potential attacks on our soil, destabilisation of the region. We will not be diverted from doing what is right by the threats from this organisation.

Downing Street has now released the full text of what David Cameron said at the opening of this morning’s session.

Here’s what he said about wanting a Nato commitment on defence spending.

We must increase our capacity. I hope today we can reaffirm our public commitment to spend 2% of our GDP on defence and 20% of that money on equipment. This would send a strong message to those who threaten us, that our collective resolve is as strong as ever.

This issue of equipment is as important as the overall amount of money. What matters most of all is what are we able to do, what are we able to deploy, what enables us to respond rapidly and together collectively to the threats we face? Those are the questions we must answer with our increases in capability.

Q: Does Georgia have a new status as a prospective member?

Rasmussen says it is one of five partners interested in what they call “enhanced opportunities”. This reflects the progress Georgia has made in its relationship with Nato. It wants to improve its ability to work with Nato. But more can be done. So clearly there is acknowledgment of the progress it has made.

Q: What signal is being sent to Russia?

Rasmussen says the readiness action plan sends a very strong message to Nato that it will take all steps necessary to protect its allies.

You will see “more visible Nato presence in the east”, he says. That sends “a very clear message to Moscow”.

And that’s it. The press conference is over.

Q: Will these enhanced capabilities help in the fight against Isis?

Rasmussen says there will be more information sharing. That is a concrete step.

Nato has not discussed direct military involvement in Iraq. That has not been requested.

But individual members have offered help to Iraq.

Q: Can you say more about the “spearhead” force? What countries will host it?

Rasmussen says the details will be worked out after the summit. It remains to be seen where the reception facilities will be located, but the Baltic states, Poland and Romania have said they are willing to host these facilities.

Q: What will Nato do to help Iraq fight Isis?

Rasmussen says there have been very thorough discussions on this. Two tracks of work are underway.

First, some individual allies are taking steps to help Iraq stop Isis. He says he warmly welcomes that.

Second, Nato itself has decided that if it receives a request from the Iraqi government, it is ready to consider “a defence capacity-building mission” in Iraq. What that would involve remains to be seen.

Until 2011 Nato had a training mission in Iraq, he says.

Also, Nato can play a coordinating role in relation to the efforts of other nations, for example with airlift.

And Nato members will share information about returning foreign fighters.

Q: Is Poland happy with the readiness action plan?

Yes, says Rasmussen. It has expressed “great satisfaction” with the plan.

Rasmussen is now taking questions.

Q: Do all 28 Nato allies still support the Nato-Russia Founding Act?

Rasmussen says Nato member have reaffirmed their commitment to a “rules-based security system” in Europe. They urge Russia to honour its commitment to that. But Nato will not walk away from it.

Rasmussen says Nato will offer partner countries more opportunities to work with Nato.

A partnership will be extended to Georgia, Moldova and Jordan, he says.

He says security capability will be extended to Libya when appropriate.

There will also be a substantial package to help Georgia progress towards Nato membership.

And there will be intensive talks on whether to offer Nato membership to Montenegro.

Rasmussen says the Nato meeting also agreed 16 priorities, including an enhanced cyber defence.

Cyber attacks can threaten the stability of our countries. They could cause as much harm as a conventional attack.

So Nato has agreed that cyber security will be a key part of its defence duties, he says.

Nato has just agreed its action plan, Rasmussen says.

Nato agreed it would maintain continuous activity, on air, at sea and on land, in eastern Europe, he says.

Nato already has a response force. Today it has agreed to create what Rasmussen describes as a “spearhead” within the force.

It would be able to deploy several thousand troops within days.

And there will be a command and control presence in eastern Europe, he says. There will be more short-notice exercises.

This is so it can respond to any threat.

This sends a clear message, he says. Nato protects its allies. And if enemies attack one ally, they will be attacking the whole alliance, he says.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary general, is holding his press conference now.

He says Poland will host the next Nato conference.

Nato leaders have failed to agree a binding commitment to raise their defence spending to 2% of GDP (their supposed target), according to the Financial Times. Instead they are restating 2% as an “aim”, and agreeing not to cut defence spending further, the FT says.

We’re getting a news conference soon from Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary general. The live feed from the Nato summit (which goes on and off, depending on whether there are public events taking place) is now broadcasting the scene from the press room.

An Afghan woman has been protesting in Cardiff about Nato not paying enough attention to women’s rights in Afghanistan. This is from the Press Association.

A woman flew 4,500 miles (7,242 km) from her home in Kabul to Wales to protest about women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Samira Hamidi stood outside Cardiff City Hall surrounded by a symbolic group of bowler-hatted men holding a banner reading “Nato: Talk to me, not about me”.

The 35-year-old said she hoped to draw the world’s attention to the problems still suffered by most women in Afghanistan and the lack of women at the Nato talks.

Protesting with campaigners from Amnesty International and lobby group No Women No Peace, she said she fears when international troops leave Afghanistan at the end of this year the situation will worsen.

She said: “Peace and security agreements cannot be sustainable or effective without meaningful participation from 50% of the population.

“The future of training and support for Afghanistan is on the agenda at Nato.

“However, when it is discussed tomorrow, the voices of Afghan women will once again be worryingly absent.”

Equal rights campaigners have expressed their unhappiness at “sexism” within Nato’s ranks.

They say the UK’s ministerial delegation at the 2014 Summit is entirely male and only one in every 40 signatories on global peace agreements over the past 30 years has been a woman.

Hamidi’s group is also calling on the UK and other Nato countries to ensure discussions about increasing women’s safety in Afghanistan are on the table and females get more opportunities.

In his remarks at the signing ceremony (see 11.45am), Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, said the rapid-reaction force would “provide a capability anywhere around the world, in any environment, as part of a coalition or on behalf of international organisations, such as the United Nations”.

Michael Fallon, the UK defence minister, is speaking about the rapid-reaction force at a news briefing.

He says Nato has agreed that it makes sense for one nation to provide a framework through which other countries can contribute. This initiative is an example, he says.

Then there’s a joint signing ceremony.

Nato is going to play a role in helping Iraq fight Isis, it has emerged. This is from Reuters.

Nato leaders are set to agree at a summit on Friday to help organise security assistance for Iraq in its fight against Islamic State militants, including coordinating the airlift of supplies, a Western official said.

Nato is expected to set up a clearing house that would match offers of military supplies to help the Iraqi authorities with available transport aircraft, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Nato would not take part in any combat operations, and the security assistance would be provided by individual member states and partners, he said.

Australia has not ruled out contributing to air strikes against Isis, according to Julie Bishop, the Australian foreign minister.

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, gave more details of the “core coalition” being formed to fight Isis. He said:

We need to attack [Isis] in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own.

Obviously I think that’s a red line for everybody here: no boots on the ground.

The Americans have announced they are forming a “core coalition” to fight Islamic State (Isis), according to Reuters.

It says the 10 countries involved are: the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Poland, Canada and Australia.

I’ll post more details when I get them.

I’ve been covering the summit digitally, at long-distance, from London. I didn’t accredit myself, so I couldn’t go to Newport.

Judging by this tweet from my colleague Patrick Wintour last night, it could have been a good call.

At the opening of this morning’s session, explaining the need for the new Nato rapid-reaction force, David Cameron accused Russia of “ripping up the rulebook” in international relations.

We face new and evolving dangers. To the east, Russia is ripping up the rulebook with its annexation of Crimea and its troops on the sovereign soil of Ukraine. To the south, an arc of instability bends from north Africa to the Middle East.

Last night, we discussed the threat posed by Isil in Iraq and Syria. Our message is clear - we are united in condemnation of these barbaric and despicable acts.

They should be very clear, these terrorists, that their threats will only harden our resolve to stand up for our values and to defeat them,.

To do so, and to deal with all threats that we face, our great alliance must now evolve and refocus on the new capabilities we need to keep our people safe.

Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, told the BBC this morning that he thought the EU should go ahead with imposing fresh sanctions on Russia, but if the proposed ceasefire in Ukraine is implemented, they could be suspended.

Based on experience, what would be sensible would be to go ahead with the plan for increased sanctions and if there is a ceasefire, if it is signed, and if it is then implemented we can then look an implementing sanctions. There is a great degree of scepticism about whether this action will materialised, whether this action will be real. We can always take the sanctions off afterwards. We don’t want to be distracted from our determination to impose further sanctions in response to Russia’s major military adventure into Ukraine.

One of the things is the lack of transparency, we don’t know what’s in President Putin’s mind. What we do know is that he has described the collapse of the Soviet Union as being one of the greatest disasters of the 20^th century. Of course, from our side of the continent we see it as one of the great achievements. We hoped we were building a constructive, new relationship with a Russia that would be part of the international community of nations. That doesn’t appear to be happening because President Putin has decided that to go down this course of confrontation, making the west an adversary rather than a partner.

I’ve taken the quotes from PoliticsHome.

While I’ve been on the school run, it was not all heavy-going negotiating at the Nato summit. The leaders took time out to watch a Red Arrows flypast.

Here’s what the Press Association filed about it.

The awesome air power of Nato thundered over the skies of Cardiff and Newport today - watched by world leaders and a crowd of thousands.

The 22-plane flypast - with aircraft from nine nations - whooshed over the Welsh capital first, led by an RAF Typhoon jet.

It was flanked by two Polish Mig-29s and followed by a convoy of fighter planes from the USA, Germany, Canada, France, Denmark, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Also taking part in the display was the RAF’s largest and newest aircraft, Voyager - which has a span of more than 197ft (60m) and can act as a “flying petrol station” for other planes.

Topping off the show were the famous Red Arrows trailing their signature tricolour smoke.

The first jets passed over Cardiff Bay at around 9pm, with hundreds of people spread around the Roath Basin - including First Minister Carwyn Jones and Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb who watched from the steps of the Welsh Assembly’s Senedd.

Scores more onlookers were dotted on the hilltop across the water in Penarth, while in Newport people gathered on the Millennium Footbridge as the flypast went over the south of the city centre.

World leaders, including US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, were all smiles as they watched the display outside summit venue the Celtic Manor.

A Wales Office spokesman said: “The display represented some of the many Nato nations which have been involved in policing the air space across Europe as part of the Alliance’s efforts to support and reassure its Eastern member states.”

Britain is going to contribute 3,500 personnel to the new Nato rapid-reaction force, the BBC reports.

It’s the second and final day of the Nato summit in Wales. Much of the talk will focus on Nato’s plans for a rapid-reaction force that will be deployed in eastern Europe and the Baltic states to deter Russia.

Here’s the timetable for the day.

9.30am: The first formal meeting of the North Atlantic council starts.

12.30pm: Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Nato secretary general, holds a press conference.

1pm: The North Atlantic council starts its second formal session.

3pm: Rasmussen holds a second press conference.

After 3pm: David Cameron and other Nato leaders are expected to give their own press conferences.

And here’s the Nato timetable with a bit more detail.

It’s been an unusually wide-ranging conference, covering the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Isis, Afghanistan, and much else. Here’s the live blog from yesterday. And here are the main Nato stories in today’s Guardian.

• The building blocks for a lengthy military and political assault on Islamic State (Isis) forces were being put in place on Thursday after Barack Obama and David Cameron agreed the principles of a campaign that will extend through Kurdish northern Iraq, Sunni Iraq and possibly intoSyria itself.

• An exasperated David Cameron lectured fellow world leaders on Thursday night telling them not to succumb to Islamic State’s ransom demands, as he warned at the Nato summit in Wales that such payouts merely funded more terrorism against the west.

• Nato leaders cautiously welcomed an apparent breakthrough in the five-month Ukrainian conflict after the country’s president, Petro Poroshenko, and one of the leading pro-Russia separatist leaders agreed to order a ceasefire on Friday.

I won’t be posting again on this blog until about 10am, I’m afraid, because I’ve got to take one of my children to school, but a colleague may update the blog if there are any big developments. After 10am I’ll be blogging full pelt.

If you want to follow me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow.