(7 Jul 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
++STARTS AND ENDS ON SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels - 7 July 2023
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General:
"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine continues to rage on. For 500 days, Moscow has brought death and destruction to the heart of Europe, seeking to destroy Ukraine and divide NATO. Our summit will send a clear message: NATO's stands united and Russia's aggression will not pay. At the summit, we will make Ukraine even more stronger and set out a vision for its future. I expect allied leaders will agree a package with three elements to bring Ukraine closer to NATO."
++BLACK FRAMES++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General:
"First, we will agree a multi-year program of assistance to ensure full interoperability between the Ukrainian armed forces and NATO. Second, we will upgrade our political ties by establishing the NATO-Ukraine Council and third, I expect allied leaders will reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and and unite on how to bring Ukraine closer to its goal."
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General:
"Allies have already pledged 500 million euros ($544.5 million) for critical needs, including fuel, medical supplies, de-mining equipment and platoon bridges. We will also help build Ukraine's security and defence sector, including with military hospitals and we will help Ukraine transition from Soviet era to NATO's equipment and standards. (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy will join us for the inaugural meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council. This will be a platform for crisis consultation and decision making, where we all sit as equals to address shared security concerns."
++BLACK FRAMES++
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General:
"At the summit, we will take further major steps to strengthen our deterrence on offence, with three new regional defence plans to counter the two main threats to our alliance, Russia and terrorism. One plan for the North, the Atlantic and the European-Arctic. One for the centre covering the Baltic region and Central Europe and the Southern Plan for the Mediterranean and Black Sea. To execute these plans, NATO is putting 300,000 troops on fire readiness, including substantial air and naval combat power."
++BLACK FRAMES++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General:
"I expect leaders will endorse a defence production action plan to aggregate demand, boost capacity and increase interoperability. To do all of this. We need to invest more. At the summit allies will set a more ambitious defence investment pledge to invest a minimum of 2% of gross domestic product annually on defence."
++BLACK FRAMES++
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General:
"Today, we are releasing new defence spending estimates. In 2023, there will be a real increase of 8.3% across European allies and Canada. This is the biggest increase in decades and the ninth consecutive year of increases in our defence spending. So European allies and Canada will have invested over 450 billion extra US dollars since we agreed our defence investment pledge in 2014."
++ENDS++
STORYLINE:
NATO's secretary general outlined a three-point plan to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia which he hoped would be agreed to by members of the bloc during a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week.
The third point of the plan will focus on member states reaffirming Ukraine's future membership in NATO, Stoltenberg said.
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