Pre-Summit press conference by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the NATO Summit in Washington, 5 July 2024.
Previewing the Washington Summit at NATO Headquarters, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that support to Ukraine will be NATO’s “most urgent task”.
🗣 | NATO Secretary General:
Good afternoon.
NATO Heads of State and Government will meet in Washington next week at a pivotal moment for our Alliance.
Our Summit will be an opportunity to celebrate 75 years of the most successful alliance in history.
But more than celebrate, we will take decisive decisions.
We will increase our support to Ukraine for the long haul;
Reinforce our collective defence;
and deepen our global partnerships.
Our most urgent task at the Summit will be support to Ukraine.
Ukraine must prevail, and they need our sustained support.
So at the Summit next week, I expect heads of state and government will agree a substantial package for Ukraine.
First, NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine.
NATO will take over the coordination and provision of most international security assistance.
With a command led by a three-star general,
And around 700 personnel working at a NATO headquarters in Germany,
And at logistical nodes in the eastern part of the Alliance.
This will not make NATO a party to the conflict.
But it will enhance Ukraine’s self-defence.
Second, a financial pledge.
I expect Allies to affirm their determination to support Ukraine in building a force capable of defeating Russian aggression today, and deterring it in the future.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Allies have provided around 40 billion euros in military aid each year.
Allies agree that this is a minimum baseline.
And I expect Allies will decide at the Summit to sustain this level within the next year.
I also expect that Allies will agree to share the burden fairly, taking into account the size of their GDP,
And provide sustained level of funding for Ukraine to prevail.
We will review this level of support at our Summit in 2025,
Not least to ensure that our support is in line with Ukraine’s needs.
Third, more immediate military support to Ukraine.
I expect Allies will provide further air defence systems and ammunition.
As well as other capabilities.
Fourth, more bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.
Many have been signed already.
And I expect more by the time of the Summit.
Fifth, deepened military interoperability.
We will agree to work more closely with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Including at a new NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre in Poland.
We will also work together to build Ukraine’s defence industry.
And deepen our cooperation on innovation.
All the work we are doing together is making Ukraine stronger, more interoperable, and better prepared than ever to join our Alliance.
I discussed this with President Zelenskyy here at NATO just a few days ago.
We agreed that all of these elements –
a NATO command;
more funding;
more military support;
more security agreements; and
more interoperability;
constitute a bridge to NATO membership,
and a very strong package for Ukraine at the Summit.
So Ukraine is moving closer to NATO.
Deterrence and defence will be another important topic for our Summit.
Since Russia’s aggression against Ukraine began in 2014, NATO has fundamentally transformed.
Today, we have 500,000 troops on high readiness;
Combat-ready battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance for the first time;
More high-end capabilities, including fifth generation aircraft; and
two highly committed new members with Finland and Sweden.
At the Summit, we will take further steps.
Allies are set to endorse a pledge that will strengthen transatlantic defence industrial cooperation, to boost production.
We will also further enhance our ballistic missile defences, with a new Aegis Ashore base in Poland.
Our strengthened defences have been made possible because Allies are spending more.
23 Allies, a record number, now invest at least 2 percent of GDP in defence.
Defence spending across European Allies and Canada is up 18% this year alone,
the biggest increase in decades.
Allies are taking burden-sharing seriously.
Continued: [ Ссылка ]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
SUBSCRIBE to this channel [ Ссылка ]
SUBSCRIBE to NATO News [ Ссылка ]
SUBSCRIBE to NATO History [ Ссылка ]
Connect with NATO online:
Visit the Official NATO Homepage: [ Ссылка ]
Receive NATO updates via email: [ Ссылка ]
Find NATO on FACEBOOK: [ Ссылка ]
Follow @NATO on X/TWITTER: [ Ссылка ]
Follow NATO on Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
Find NATO on LinkedIn: [ Ссылка ]
Find NATO on Flickr: [ Ссылка ]
#NATO #OTAN #NATOSummit
