Category: NATO

Source: NATO

Thank you so much.

Minister-President Söder, dear Markus, thank you for hosting this CSU transatlantic forum.

And President von der Leyen, dear Ursula,
It is always great to be together with you.

And Ursula, you have played a key role in raising NATO-EU cooperation to unprecedented levels.

This has been demonstrated through our response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

On the day of the invasion, you and I stood side-by-side and delivered a clear message of support for the Ukrainian people.

Two years on, Ukraine continues to fight for its freedom and its independence.

This is due first and foremost to the courage of the Ukrainian people.
Enabled by major military and economic support from Europe and North America.

I welcome that the European Council has approved an important new package of aid to Ukraine.
And I expect the US to follow suit.
This is vital.

Putin must realise he will not get what he wants on the battlefield.
So if we want a lasting peace, we must continue to provide Ukraine with weapons and ammunition.

This requires expanding our transatlantic industrial base, to increase deliveries to Ukraine and refill our own stocks.

And shifting from slow peacetime to high-tempo of conflict, to produce more at the highest speed.

This will help Ukraine.
It will make NATO stronger.
And it will provide more highly-skilled manufacturing jobs.

Including here in Bavaria, where Patriot missiles will be built at a new facility.
This is another example of European and North American companies working together for our shared security.

There is no imminent military threat against any NATO Ally.

NATO continues to ensure there is no room for miscalculation in Moscow about our readiness to protect all Allies.

With more forces, higher readiness, and increased defence spending.

Last year, we saw an unprecedented real increase of 11% in defence spending across European Allies and Canada.

This year, I expect 18 Allies to spend 2% of GDP on defence.
And I welcome that Germany is among that number.

Germany’s commitment to permanently station a brigade in Lithuania will also be a major contribution to NATO’s deterrence and defence.
A strong NATO is good for Europe and for North America.

Together, we are half of the world’s economic and military might.
Together, we deter conflict and preserve peace.

So President von der Leyen,
Minister-President Söder,

Thank you for your leadership.
And I look forward to our discussion.

Source: NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underscored the importance of NATO-EU cooperation in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine on Friday (16 February 2023) arriving at an event hosted by Bavaria’s Christian Social Union.

Source: NATO

NATO Defence Ministers met on Thursday (15 February 2024) to address the Alliance’s deterrence and defence, as well as support to Ukraine.

Source: NATO

Good afternoon, 
NATO defence ministers met today to prepare for the Washington Summit in July.

Last year in Vilnius, we took major decisions to strengthen our deterrence and defence. 

Today, we accelerated work on resourcing our new defence plans, and strengthening our transatlantic defence industrial base.

This requires investment.
And we are on the right track.
I expect 18 Allies to spend 2% of their GDP on defence this year.
A six-fold increase from only 3 Allies in 2014.

In 2024, NATO Allies in Europe will invest a total of 380 billion US dollars in defence.

For the first time, this amounts to 2% of their total GDP.

By the end of 2024, European Allies and Canada will have added more than 600 billion dollars for defence since we made the Defence Investment Pledge in 2014.

We still have a way to go. 
But we have already made historic progress. 

We also discussed ramping up production of ammunition. 

To refill our stocks and continue to support Ukraine, we need to shift from the slow pace of peacetime, to the high-tempo production demanded by conflict.

To do that, manufacturers need signed contracts.
And just in the past few months, NATO has agreed contracts worth ten billion dollars.

This helps Ukraine.
Makes NATO stronger,
And provides more highly-skilled jobs in Europe and North America. 

We also discussed the deteriorating security environment. 
We can never take peace for granted.
But we do not see any imminent military threat against the Alliance.

NATO continues to ensure there’s no room for miscalculation in Moscow about our readiness to protect all Allies.

Right now, we are conducting Steadfast Defender: 
the largest NATO exercise in decades.
With approximately 90,000 forces from all 31 Allies and Sweden.

Testing our ability to swiftly move forces across the Alliance to defend our eastern flank. 

Today, we also met with Ukraine in the NATO-Ukraine Council. 

Defence Minister Umerov briefed Allies on the latest developments on the ground. 
And we addressed the importance of our continued support.

Just in the past few days, we have seen new packages of aid announced by Allies including Canada, Finland, and Norway.
Covering key capabilities like F-16 equipment and spare parts, as well as air defence. 

A group of Allies is coming together with the goal of delivering one million drones to Ukraine.
20 NATO Allies have also agreed to form a demining coalition. 
All of this will help to save Ukrainian lives.

Together, NATO Allies account for 99% of all military aid to Ukraine.
And our continued commitment is essential to preserving Ukraine’s freedom. 

Since Russia’s invasion, the United States has provided Ukraine with around 75 billion dollars in military, financial, and humanitarian aid.
Other NATO Allies and partners have provided over 100 billion US dollars.

So our support is an example of true transatlantic burden sharing. 

And it is making a real difference every day.

Today, we decided to create a new NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre in Bydgoszcz, Poland. 

It will allow Ukraine to share lessons learned from Russia’s war. 
And it will create a structure for Ukrainian forces to learn and train alongside their Allied counterparts. 
We will continue to stand with Ukraine.
For Ukraine’s security, and for ours. 

And with that, I am ready to take a few questions.

Source: NATO

(As delivered)

Source: NATO

(As delivered)

Source: NATO

Today, NATO defense ministers will meet to address our support to Ukraine, and how to further strengthen our deterrence and defense. 

And to do both, we need to invest more, and we are on the right track. Because we now have historic numbers when it comes to defense investments. Last year, we saw an 11% real increase in defense spending across Europe and Canada. This year, we expect 18 Allies to meet the target of spending 2% of GDP on defense. And European Allies together spend 280 billion US dollars on defense. And this is 2% of their combined GDP.

But we still have a way to go. Because at our Summit in Vilnius last year, all Allies promised to spend 2% of GDP on defense, and 2% is a minimum.

Then, later on today, I will chair a meeting of the NATO Ukraine Council. We will address how to sustain our support to Ukraine. We see that our support is making a difference on the battlefield every day. Just yesterday, the Ukrainians were able to strike successfully a Russian naval ship, and this demonstrates the skills and the competence of Ukrainian armed forces, also in conducting deep strikes behind the Russian lines.

To ensure that Ukraine gets the weapons, the supplies, the ammunitions they need, we need to ramp up production. And NATO Allies have, just over the last month – since we agreed the defense investment plan – agreed and signed contracts for 10 billion euros, for more orders from different parts of the transatlantic defense industry.

I welcome that NATO Allies are providing more support, more air defense, more ammunition. I welcome the decision by the European Union to allocate 50 billion euros to Ukraine, and I expect the US Congress to agree a package of continued support to Ukraine. Because supporting Ukraine is not charity. Supporting Ukraine is an investment in our own security. And with that, I am now ready toy to take a few questions.

Question ARD: The recent warnings of the US government that Ukraine is running out of ammunition isn’t it too little too late what the West is doing to support the country?

NATO Secretary General:
We see the impact already of the fact that the US has not been able to make a decision but I expect the US to be able to make a decision, that the Congress and the House of Representatives will agree a continued support to Ukraine because if we allow President Putin to win it will not only be bad for the Ukrainians, a tragedy for the Ukrainians but it will also be dangerous for us. It will make the world even more dangerous for us and leave us more vulnerable therefore this is our security interest to do so. I visited the United States a couple of weeks ago and I spent a lot of time with the Representatives of both sides of the US Congress and the broad message there was board agreement there for sustained support. I count on the US Congress to be able to reflect that support in a decision to sustain the support for Ukraine.

Question Bloomberg: What is your response to Trump considering raising a two-tiered NATO Alliance whereby Article 5 would only apply to nations that hit their defence spending targets?

NATO Secretary General:
Article 5, the commitment to defend all Allies and that an attack on one Ally will be regarded as an attack on all is the core of NATO, is the heart of NATO and of course that applies for all Allies because we know that any suggestion that we are not there to protect and defend all Allies will undermine the security of all of us and put at risk our soldiers, our personnel who are on the front lines to protect the whole Alliance. So one for all, all for one applies for all Allies and is the heart of NATO

Question NRK:
Mr Secretary General European Leaders seem worried about Donald Trump’s statements and there is talk of strategic autonomy again, maybe even a completely different nuclear capacity. Are you worried that Mr. Trump’s statements will signal the beginning of the end of NATO and the beginning of something else in Europe?

NATO Secretary General:
I welcome that European Allies are investing more in defence. NATO has called for that for many many years and NATO has also called for European Allies to invest more in high-end capabilities, more forces, high readiness and now European Allies are delivering that and that is a good thing. But that is not an alternative to NATO; that is actually a way to strengthen NATO and we should not pursue any path that indicates that we are trying to divide Europe from North America. The strength is that we have Europe and North America together in NATO. We have to remember that non-EU NATO Allies account for 80% of NATO’s defence spending and this is not only about resources but also about georgraphy. If we look to the South we have Turkiye, a non-EU Ally but important for the Southern flank. In the North you have countries like Norway and Iceland, perhaps not the biggest military powers but still extremely critical for the Trans-Atlantic link, for the protection of North America and Europe. And in the West, you have the United States, Canada but also the United Kingdom. So the strength of NATO is that we bring Europe and North America together; together we have 50% of the roles of economic might; 50% of the roles of military might so as long as we stand together we are able to send a message to any adversary that we are able to protect all Allies.

On nuclear let me just say that NATO has a nuclear deterrent and this has worked for decades and this is the ultimate deterrence we have. We should of course always continue to ensure that this nuclear deterrent of NATO remains safe, secure and effective and we have agreed procedures for command and control, doctrines and this is actually a joint effort with the United States and European Allies. We should not do anything to undermine that. That will only create more uncertainty and more room for miscalculation and misunderstanding. We should be committed to the NATO nuclear deterrent and not do anything to undermine that.

Question: Zerkalo, Belarus
In 2020, during the post-election protests in Belarus, Putin supported Lukashenko, including (inaudible) of Rosgvardia near the border of our country. Because democracy in Belarus was lost… if democracy had won, Russia would not have been able to attack Ukraine from Belarus, deploy nuclear weapons, and threaten NATO countries neighboring Belarus. Maybe it’s time to change NATO strategy, and start supporting people of Europe fighting for democracy? And what do you about Lukashenko and his aggression?

NATO Secretary General
President Lukashenko and Belarus has been the staging ground for the Russian aggression against Ukraine since the very beginning. When Russia amassed the troops along the Ukrainian border before the invasion, many of them were deployed in Belarus. And large part of the invasion was actually launched from Belarus. So Belarus has been complicit to the Russian aggression against Ukraine since the beginning. We strongly believe that all nations have the right to live in freedom and democracy. And NATO is built on the core values of freedom and democracy. And that also, of course, applies for the people of Belarus. Thank you.

Source: NATO

Speaking at the European Parliament on Wednesday (14 February 2024), NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană underlined the importance of NATO-EU cooperation to address the security situation in the Black Sea, Western Balkans and eastern Europe, and tackle other shared challenges like disinformation, cyber security and military issues.

Source: NATO

Defence Ministers will meet in Brussels on Thursday (15 February 2024) to prepare the NATO Summit in Washington in July.

Source: NATO

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg released NATO’s latest defence spending figures on Wednesday (14 February 2024), which show an unprecedented increase across European Allies and Canada.