NATO Secretary General pre-ministerial press conference at Defence Ministers Meeting, 12 JUN 2024

On Wednesday (12 June 2024) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined the priorities for the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers on Thursday and Friday (13 and 14 June 2024).

At a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, “Allies will discuss how to ensure predictable support to Ukraine for the long haul,” Mr Stoltenberg said. Ministers are expected to approve a plan for NATO to lead the coordination of security assistance and training, “a key element for our package for Ukraine at the Washington Summit, along with a long-term financial commitment,” he added. Allies have provided 40 billion euros in military support to Ukraine each year. “We must maintain this level of support as a minimum, and for as long as it takes, to hasten the conclusion in Moscow that Russia cannot wait us out,” Mr Stoltenberg said.

Ministers will also address measures to continue strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence. “Defence spending is on an upward trajectory across the Alliance,” the Secretary General highlighted. At the ministerial, Allies will make progress on a new Defence Industrial Pledge for leaders to approve in Washington to scale up military production and send a signal of long-term demand to industry. Ministers will also take decisions to ensure the required capabilities for NATO’s new defence plans, and they will discuss Russia’s intensifying campaign of hostile acts across NATO countries. The ministerial also includes a meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group, where Allies will discuss the ongoing adaptation of NATO’s nuclear capabilities.

Acknowledging the challenging security environment, Mr Stoltenberg reiterated NATO’s commitment to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression. “We will bolster our support to Ukraine, we will strengthen our defences, and we will send a strong message of deterrence to our adversaries,” he concluded.

🗣 | NATO Secretary General:

Good evening.

Over the next two days, the NATO Defence Ministers from across the Alliance will gather here to prepare for the NATO Summit in Washington.

We will convene a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.

And Allies will discuss how to ensure predictable support to Ukraine for the long haul.

We come together at a critical time for Ukraine and our own security.

As we have seen in recent months, delays in the provision of military aid to Ukraine have had consequences on the battlefield.

But once again Allies are stepping up their support.

I welcome the 60-billion-dollar package by the United States,

And significant commitments by other Allies.

In recent weeks, Sweden, Spain and Belgium have each pledged more than 1 billion euros in new support,

Including 30 F-16 jets and early warning airplanes.

Following Germany’s offer of an additional Patriot battery,
Italy has pledged another SAMP/T.

And I expect more to be announced in the coming days and weeks.

At this meeting, I expect that Ministers will approve a plan for NATO to lead the coordination of security assistance and training to Ukraine.
This is a key element for our package for Ukraine at the Washington Summit, along with a long-term financial commitment.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Allies have provided 40 billion euros in military support to Ukraine each year.

We must maintain this level of support as a minimum, and for as long as it takes.

To hasten the conclusion in Moscow, that Russia cannot wait us out.

We are also looking at our own deterrence and defence, as we should.

Since 2014, NATO has implemented the largest reinforcement of our collective defence in a generation.

We have put in place the most comprehensive defence plans since the end of the Cold War.

And defence spending is on an upward trajectory across the Alliance.

At this Ministerial, we will make progress on a new Defence Industrial Pledge,
for leaders to approve at the Summit in Washington.

This will enable us to scale up military production.
And send a signal of long-term demand to industry.

In addition, we will take decisions to ensure that we have the capabilities to meet the requirements of our own new defence plans.

Ministers will also discuss Russia’s intensifying campaign of hostile acts across NATO countries.

The hallmarks of which are sabotage, acts of violence, cyber-attacks and disinformation.

Continued: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/op...

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