List of current defence ministers

This is a list of current defence ministers of the 193 United Nations member states, Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine.

Defence ministers of sovereign countries with limited recognition are included in a separate table.

States recognised by the United Nations

State List Defence minister Political affiliation Assumed office
Afghanistan List Mullah Yaqoob Taliban 7 September 2021
Albania List Ermal Nufi Socialist Party 26 February 2026
Algeria List Abdelmadjid Tebboune (also President) National Liberation Front 19 December 2019
Andorra N/a
Angola List João Ernesto dos Santos Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola 6 April 2020
Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne[1] (also Prime Minister) Labour Party 13 June 2014
Argentina List Carlos Presti Independent 10 December 2025
Armenia List Suren Papikyan Civil Contract 15 November 2021
Australia List Richard Marles Labor Party 1 June 2022
Austria List Klaudia Tanner People's Party 7 January 2020
Azerbaijan List Colonel general Zakir Hasanov New Azerbaijan Party 22 October 2013
Bahamas List Wayne Munroe Progressive Liberal Party 20 September 2021
Bahrain Abdullah bin Hassan Al-Nuaimi 4 December 2018
Bangladesh List Tarique Rahman (also Prime Minister) Nationalist Party 17 February 2026
Barbados Mia Mottley (also Prime Minister) Labour Party 26 May 2018
Belarus List Lieutenant general Viktor Khrenin Independent 20 January 2020
Belgium List Theo Francken New Flemish Alliance 3 February 2025
Belize Florencio Marin Jr. United Democratic Party 13 November 2020
Benin Alain Nouatin Independent 25 May 2021
Bhutan N/a
Bolivia Raúl Salinas Independent 8 November 2025
Bosnia and Herzegovina List Zukan Helez Social Democratic Party 25 January 2023
Botswana List Moeti Mohwasa Independent 15 November 2024
Brazil List José Múcio Democratic Renewal Party 1 January 2023
Brunei List Hassanal Bolkiah (also Sultan) 7 September 1986
Bulgaria List Lieutenant general Atanas Zapryanov Independent 9 April 2024
Burkina Faso Célestin Simporé 8 December 2024
Burundi List Marie Chantal Nijimbere[2] 5 August 2025
Cambodia List General Tea Seiha People's Party 22 August 2023
Cameroon List Joseph Beti Assomo People's Democratic Movement 2 October 2015
Canada List David McGuinty Liberal Party 13 May 2025
Cape Verde Luís Filipe Tavares Movement for Democracy 22 April 2016
Central African Republic Claude Rameaux Bireau 23 June 2021
Chad Dago Yacouba 21 October 2023
Chile List Adriana Delpiano Party for Democracy 10 March 2025
China List Admiral Dong Jun Communist Party 29 December 2023
Colombia List Major general Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez Independent 3 March 2025
Comoros Youssoufa Mohamed Ali 31 May 2016
Republic of the Congo Major general Charles Richard Mondjo 25 September 2012
Democratic Republic of the Congo List Alexandre Luba Ntambo 28 April 2012
Costa Rica[nb 1] Mario Zamora Cordero 10 May 2023
Ivory Coast Téné Birahima Ouattara Rally of the Republicans 8 March 2021
Croatia List Ivan Anušić Democratic Union 16 November 2023
Cuba List Corps general Álvaro López Miera Communist Party 15 April 2021
Cyprus List Vasilis Palmas 10 January 2024
Czech Republic List Lieutenant general Jaromír Zůna Independent 15 December 2025
Denmark List Troels Lund Poulsen Venstre 22 August 2023
Djibouti List Hassan Omar Mohamed 5 May 2019
Dominica N/a
Dominican Republic Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre 16 August 2024
East Timor List Pedro Klamar Fuik Independent 1 July 2023
Ecuador List Gian Carlo Loffredo Rendón 23 November 2023
Egypt List General Abdel Mageed Saqr Independent 3 July 2024
El Salvador List Admiral René Merino Monroy Independent 1 June 2019
Equatorial Guinea List Victoriano Bibang Nsue Okomo 19 August 2020
Eritrea List General Filipos Woldeyohannes 19 March 2014
Estonia List Hanno Pevkur Reform Party 18 July 2022
Ethiopia List Aisha Mohammed 20 May 2024
Fiji List Pio Tikoduadua National Federation Party 24 December 2022
Finland List Antti Häkkänen National Coalition Party 20 June 2023
France List Catherine Vautrin Renaissance 12 October 2025
Gabon List Brigitte Onkanowa 10 September 2023
Gambia Major Sheikh Omar Faye Independent 22 August 2019
Georgia List Irakli Chikovani Georgian Dream 8 February 2024
Germany List Boris Pistorius Social Democratic Party 19 January 2023
Ghana List Cassiel Ato Baah Forson (acting) National Democratic Congress 6 August 2025
Greece List Nikos Dendias New Democracy 27 June 2023
Grenada Dickon Mitchell (also Prime Minister) National Democratic Congress 24 June 2022
Guatemala List Brigadier general Henry Saenz Ramos Independent 15 January 2024
Guinea Aboubacar Sidiki Camara 21 October 2021
Guinea-Bissau Stive Lassana Manssaly 29 November 2025
Guyana N/a
Haiti List Jean Michel Moïse 19 November 2024
Holy See
Honduras Roosevelt Hernández Aguilar 18 December 2025
Hungary List Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky Independent 24 May 2022
Iceland[nb 2] List Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir Viðreisn 21 December 2024
India List Rajnath Singh Bharatiya Janata Party 31 May 2019
Indonesia List Honorary general Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin Independent 21 October 2024
Iran List Majid Ebn-e-Reza (acting) 28 February 2026
Iraq List Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani (acting) (also Prime Minister) Independent 2 March 2026
Ireland List Helen McEntee Fine Gael 18 November 2025
Israel List Captain Israel Katz Likud 5 November 2024
Italy List Guido Crosetto Brothers of Italy 22 October 2022
Jamaica Andrew Holness (also Prime Minister) Labour Party 3 March 2016
Japan List Shinjirō Koizumi Liberal Democratic Party 21 October 2025
Jordan List Jafar Hassan (also Prime Minister) 15 September 2024
Kazakhstan List Lieutenant general Däuren Qosanov 8 June 2025
Kenya List Soipan Tuya 8 August 2024
Kiribati N/a
North Korea List General No Kwang-chol Workers' Party 8 October 2024
South Korea List Ahn Gyu-back Democratic Party 25 July 2025
Kuwait List Abdullah Ali Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah 4 February 2025
Kyrgyzstan List Ruslan Mukambetov 22 May 2025
Laos List Chansamone Chanyalath People's Revolutionary Party 20 April 2016
Latvia List Andris Sprūds The Progressives 15 September 2023
Lebanon List Major general Michel Menassa Independent 8 February 2025
Lesotho Sam Matekane (also Prime Minister) Revolution for Prosperity 28 October 2022
Liberia List Geraldine George 13 February 2024
Libya List Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh (also Prime Minister) Independent 15 March 2021
Liechtenstein N/a
Lithuania List Robertas Kaunas Social Democratic Party 11 November 2025
Luxembourg List Yuriko Backes Democratic Party 17 November 2023
Madagascar List Maminirina Ely Razafitombo 28 October 2025
Malawi Chimwemwe Chipungu Independent 30 October 2025
Malaysia List Mohamed Khaled Nordin Barisan Nasional 12 December 2023
Maldives List Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon 17 November 2023
Mali General Sadio Camara 11 June 2021
Malta Byron Camilleri Labor Party 15 January 2020
Marshall Islands N/a
Mauritania Hanena Ould Sidi 9 August 2019
Mauritius Navin Ramgoolam (also Prime Minister) Labour Party 13 November 2024
Mexico List Division general Ricardo Trevilla Trejo 1 October 2024
Micronesia N/a
Moldova List Colonel Anatolie Nosatîi Independent 6 August 2021
Monaco N/a
Mongolia List Dambyn Batlut People's Party 18 June 2025
Montenegro List Dragan Krapović Democratic Montenegro 31 October 2023
Morocco Abdellatif Loudiyi 2 December 2010
Mozambique List Major general Cristóvão Artur Chume FRELIMO 11 November 2021
Myanmar List General Maung Maung Aye 18 December 2024
Namibia List Frans Kapofi SWAPO 22 April 2021
Nauru N/a
  Nepal List Sushila Karki (also Interim Prime Minister) Independent 12 September 2025
Netherlands List Dilan Yeşilgöz[3] People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 23 February 2026
New Zealand List Judith Collins National Party 27 November 2023
Nicaragua Captain Rosa Adelina Barahona Castro Sandinista National Liberation Front 19 August 2019
Niger General Salifou Modi 28 July 2023
Nigeria List General Christopher Gwabin Musa 4 December 2025
North Macedonia List Vlado Misajlovski VMRO-DPMNE 23 June 2024
Norway List Tore Onshuus Sandvik Labour Party 4 February 2025
Oman List Haitham bin Tariq (also Sultan) 11 January 2020
Pakistan List Khawaja Asif Muslim League (N) 19 April 2022
Palau N/a
Palestine[4]
Panama N/a
Papua New Guinea Billy Joseph Social Democratic Party 19 January 2024
Paraguay General Bernardino Soto Estigarribia 15 August 2018
Peru List César Díaz Peche Independent 14 October 2025
Philippines List Colonel Gilbert Teodoro People's Reform Party 5 June 2023
Poland List Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz People's Party 13 December 2023
Portugal List Nuno Melo CDS – People's Party 2 April 2024
Qatar Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani 12 November 2024
Romania List Radu-Dinel Miruță Save Romania Union 23 December 2025
Russia List Andrey Belousov Independent 14 May 2024
Rwanda List Brigadier general Juvenal Marizamunda Patriotic Front 6 June 2023
Saint Kitts and Nevis N/a
Saint Lucia Philip J. Pierre (also Prime Minister) 28 July 2021
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines N/a
Samoa N/a
San Marino N/a
São Tomé and Príncipe List Jorge Amado 11 November 2022
Saudi Arabia List Khalid bin Salman 27 September 2022
Senegal List General Birame Diop 5 April 2024
Serbia List Bratislav Gašić Progressive Party 2 May 2024
Seychelles Patrick Herminie (also President) Linyon Demokratik Seselwa 26 October 2025
Sierra Leone List Major Alfred Paolo Conteh All People's Congress 26 October 2007
Singapore List Major general Chan Chun Sing People's Action Party 23 May 2025
Slovakia List Robert Kaliňák Direction – Social Democracy 25 October 2023
Slovenia List Borut Sajovic Freedom Movement 7 October 2024
Solomon Islands Christopher Laore Independent 22 October 2012
Somalia List Ahmed Moalim Fiqi Union for Peace and Development Party 25 August 2022
South Africa List Angie Motshekga African National Congress 3 July 2024
South Sudan List General Chol Thon Balok 29 March 2023
Spain List Margarita Robles Independent 7 June 2018
Sri Lanka List Anura Kumara Dissanayake (also President) National People's Power 23 September 2024
Sudan List Hassan Daoud Kayan 28 June 2025
Suriname Krishna Mathoera Progressive Reform Party 16 July 2020
Eswatini N/a
Sweden List Pål Jonson Moderate Party 18 October 2022
 Switzerland List Colonel Martin Pfister The Centre 1 April 2025
Syria List Major general Murhaf Abu Qasra Independent 21 December 2024
Tajikistan List Lieutenant general Emomali Sobirzoda 23 January 2025
Tanzania List Rhimo Simeon Nyansaho 17 November 2025
Thailand List General Natthaphon Narkphanit Independent 30 June 2025
Togo Faure Gnassingbé (also President of the Council of Ministers) Union for the Republic 3 May 2025
Tonga Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala (also Crown Prince) 31 December 2025
Trinidad and Tobago Wayne Sturge 3 May 2025
Tunisia List Khaled Sehili Independent 25 August 2024
Turkey List General Yaşar Güler Independent 4 June 2023
Turkmenistan List Lieutenant general Begenç Gündogdyýew Democratic Party 14 June 2018
Tuvalu N/a
Uganda List Jacob Oboth-Oboth 4 April 2024
Ukraine List Mykhailo Fedorov Independent 14 January 2026
United Arab Emirates Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum 14 July 2024
United Kingdom List John Healey Labour Party 5 July 2024
United States List Major Pete Hegseth Republican 25 January 2025
Uruguay List Sandra Lazo Broad Front 1 March 2025
Uzbekistan List Major general Shukhrat Kholmukhamedov 23 November 2024
Vanuatu N/a
Venezuela List General-in-chief Vladimir Padrino López United Socialist Party 24 October 2014
Vietnam List General Phan Văn Giang Communist Party 8 April 2021
Yemen List Lieutenant general Taher al-Aqili 6 February 2026
Zambia List Ambrose Lufuma United Party for National Development 8 September 2021
Zimbabwe List Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri African National Union – Patriotic Front 7 September 2018

Notes

  1. ^ Ministry of Public Security is in charge of maintaining public order, organizing police forces, preventing crime and, if necessary, defense of national sovereignty Ministry of Public Security Functions
  2. ^ Ministry for Foreign Affairs is the central authority for defence National Security of Iceland

States with limited recognition, non-UN member states

State List Defence minister Party Assumed office
Abkhazia (Republic of Abkhazia) Vladimir Anua 1 June 2020
Kosovo (Republic of Kosovo) Ejup Maqedonci 8 August 2023
Northern Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) N/a
Sahrawi Republic (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) Mohamed Lamine Mohamed Ahmed 14 February 2023
Somaliland (Republic of Somaliland) Mohamed Yusuf Ali 14 December 2024
South Ossetia (Republic of South Ossetia–the State of Alania) Yuri Yarovitsky 2 June 2025
Taiwan (Republic of China) List Wellington Koo Democratic Progressive Party 20 May 2024
Transnistria (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic) Oleg Obruchkov 26 December 2016

See also

References

  1. ^ "Government of Antigua and Barbuda". ab.gov.ag. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Membres du Gouvernement". www.presidence.gov.bi (in French).
  3. ^ https://www.parlement.com/biografie/d-dilan-yesilgoz-zegerius
  4. ^ The Palestinian Authority renamed itself the State of Palestine on 6 January 2013 (a move not recognized by Israel). Do not confuse with the "State of Palestine" proclaimed on 15 November 1988 by the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in Algiers which remains a putative state, de facto ineffective despite partial international recognition.