Category: NATO

Source: NATO

On 14 December 2023, the NATO Military Committee held two different meetings with Partners to prepare and discuss the agenda for the upcoming Chiefs of Defence meeting, in January 2024.

Source: NATO

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke with the Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, during a visit to Riyadh on Wednesday (13 December 2023), welcoming the development of closer ties between NATO and the Kingdom.

Source: NATO

Representatives from eight Iraqi professional military education institutions, led by Staff Lieutenant General Aqeel Mustafa Mahdi Al Rammah, President of the Iraqi Defence University for Military Studies, visited NATO Headquarters on 12 and 13 December 2023. The visit was part of the annual review of their defence education activities, within the framework of NATO’s Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP).

Source: NATO

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg set out his vision for deeper cooperation between NATO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in an historic visit to Riyadh – the first ever by a sitting Secretary General of NATO.

Source: NATO

Lloyd J. Austin III, US Secretary of Defense
Good morning, everybody. Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the death of three brave US troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded. The President and I will not tolerate attack on US forces and we will take all necessary actions to defend the US and our troops. Now, at this important time, I’m glad to be back at the Pentagon. I feel good and am recovering well, but still recovering. And I appreciate all the, the good wishes that I’ve received thus far. And welcome back Mr. Secretary General.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General
Thank you

Lloyd J. Austin III, US Secretary of Defense
It’s great to see you. It’s a pleasure to get the host to host you here today. You know, the past three years we’ve worked closely together and I want to thank you for your leadership and you’ve heard me say that a number of times and it is, it is heartfelt. I have really watched you lead, lead the Alliance through some very challenging times. You’ve kept NATO, united and resolute through the most serious threat to transatlantic security since the end of the Cold War. Over the nearly two years since Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, NATO has grown stronger and more united than ever.

NATO became even more capable last year when Finland joined and I’m very pleased that the Turkish parliament voted last week for Sweden to join NATO as well. And we’re looking forward to welcoming Sweden to NATO soon. Now, we’ll talk today about ways to further strengthen transatlantic security as we look to next month’s Defence Ministerial meeting in Brussels, and to the 75th anniversary summit that we’ll host here in Washington later this year. Deterrence and defence will always be job number one for NATO. And we’ve always, and we’ve made excellent progress on implementing the decisions that our leaders made at the Vilnius Summit. With our approved regional plans, we’re ensuring a theatre-wide multi domain deterrent. If any adversary challenges that deterrent, the Alliance is ready to fight and to win.

So I look forward to some frank discussions with you and our valued Allies about what we need to strengthen our collective deterrence and defence. That includes reaching and maintaining the levels of defence spending and production that we need to follow through on our commitments from Vilnius. That’s vital so that we can continue to support Ukraine and to replenish our own stocks of weapons and munitions.

NATO is the most powerful and successful alliance in history. And we’re going to keep it that way. So Mr Secretary General, we’ve got a lot to discuss today and I look forward to that discussion. And over to you sir.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General
Thank you so much Secretary Austin, dear Lloyd. It’s good to see you again and thank you for your warm welcome. And it’s great to see that you are doing well and I look forward to continuing to working with you. Let me start by express my condolences for the US troops killed and wounded in Jordan. This demonstrates once again, the risk that servicemen are exposed to when they stand up for our values and take part in missions and operations where we protect freedom and the values we all believe in. Iran continues to destabilise the region. This includes backing terrorists who attack our ships in the Red Sea and the US is leading international efforts to end these attacks.

We will as you mentioned, also discuss Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the war is now nearing the two year mark. The situation, the situation on the battlefield is challenging but NATO Allies are providing unprecedented support to Ukraine. It is important that we continue to do so. Our support to Ukraine is not charity, it is an investment in our own security because the world will become more dangerous if President Putin wins in Ukraine. And this is also closely watched in China and Beijing so that makes it even more important that we continue to support Ukraine. And therefore I also welcome the leadership of you and President Biden in ensuring that we are going to continue to support Ukraine.

We will also discuss how to continue to adapt the Alliance in the future. NATO is now holding Steadfast Defender – our biggest military exercise in decades with 90,000 troops including many from the United States – demonstrating how NATO has adapted and how we have increased the readiness of our forces and how we also have deployed more forces to the eastern part of the Alliance.

We also see growing competition with China. Beijing is not an adversary but China is conducting a major military build-up, increasingly aligning with Russia and bullying its neighbours, not least Taiwan – and all of this impacts our security. So when we face a more dangerous world, we need to invest more in security. I commend you for your leadership on these issues and I welcome the fact that European Allies are now stepping up. All Allies across Europe and Canada have increased defence spending, added 450 billion extra US dollars for events demonstrating that they take this seriously and I look forward to the Defence Ministerial meeting next week and also the summit in Washington in July. Where we’re going to celebrate the 75th anniversary of this Alliance but also work and agree on important decisions on how to continue to ensure that NATO is the most successful alliance in history.
Thanks so much Lloyd, it’s great to see you again.

Lloyd J. Austin III, US Secretary of Defense
Well, welcome back to the Pentagon Secretary General, I look forward to a great discussion. Thanks, everybody.

Source: NATO

Thanks so much, Secretary Blinken, dear Tony,
Thank you for hosting me here in Washington.

It is always good to meet with you.
And even more important given the dangers we face.

So let me begin by offering my deepest condolences for the US troops killed and wounded in yesterday’s drone attack in Jordan.

We see Iran continue to destabilise the region.

Iran also bears responsibility for backing terrorists who attack our ships in the Red Sea.

Tehran’s behaviour reminds us of what a world without rules looks like:
Unpredictable and dangerous.
A world where our security becomes more expensive.

I welcome your tireless diplomacy, Secretary Blinken, to prevent further escalation of the war in Gaza. 
Your efforts to alleviate human suffering.
And your hard work toward a peaceful resolution.

Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine is nearing the two-year mark.
And a Russian victory would embolden Iran, North Korea and China.

That matters for Europe’s security.
And it matters for America’s security.

So supporting Ukraine serves U.S. interests.

For a tiny fraction of annual defence spending, the United States has helped Ukraine destroy a major part of Russia’s combat capacity.  
Without placing a single American soldier in harm’s way.   

I welcome the clear commitment from President Biden and you.
To sustain U.S. support to Ukraine.
And to work with Congress to achieve that.

As you said, other Allies are also stepping up.

In fact, what European NATO Allies and Canada provide –
in terms of military, financial, and humanitarian aid –
actually exceeds what the U.S. is providing.

So truly joint effort from both sides of the Atlantic.

And I am confident that all NATO Allies will continue to deliver.
Because supporting Ukraine is not charity.
It is an investment in our own security. 

President Putin started this war, and he could end it today – if he stopped attacking a neighbour.
The war could also end if Ukraine stopped defending itself,
But that would not mean peace.
It would mean Russian occupation.
And occupation is not peace.

A just peace will require President Putin to realise that he will not get what he wants on the battlefield.
Moscow must accept a negotiated solution where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent nation.

What happens around the negotiating table is inextricably linked to the situation on the battlefield.
So if we want a lasting, just peace, we must provide Ukraine with more weapons and ammunition.
Weapons to Ukraine is the path to peace.

Finally, we also discussed adapting our Alliance for the future.

In July, we will mark NATO’s 75th anniversary with a Summit here in Washington.

And as you said, NATO is getting stronger and bigger. 
Finland is already a member, Sweden will become a member soon. 
And this demonstrates that Putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he wanted.

He wanted less NATO, a weaker NATO.
He’s getting a stronger NATO and a more united NATO and a NATO with more members.

At the Summit, we will take further steps to bolster NATO’s strength.
Invest more in our defence.
And work with partners around the world.

Through NATO, the U.S. has more friends and allies than any other power.
Together, we make up 50 percent of the world’s economic and military might.

China and Russia have nothing like NATO.
It is why they always try to undermine our unity.

In times of growing competition and rivalry.
NATO makes the U.S. stronger and safer.
And all of us more secure.

Secretary Blinken, dear Tony,
Thank you again for your personal commitment to our transatlantic bond and to our shared security.

Thank you.

Olivia Gazis, CBS:

Today, the United States has not publicly accused Iran of being directly involved in any attacks on US forces, while noting the regime in Tehran supports and does not discourage its proxies from conducting these attacks. This weekend’s lethal strike Mr. Secretary was one of at least 160 attacks on US forces in the region by Iranian proxies since October. Could earlier stronger action by the United States against Iran, and not just its militias, have spared American lives?  And secondly, if I may, Mr. Secretary, the UN Secretary General has appealed to the US and 10 other countries who have suspended funding to UNRWA, following revelations regarding allegations that at least a dozen of its 13,000 employees may have had involvement in the October 7 attacks. And more than 100 more may have links to militant groups, under what circumstances and how soon could the US consider resuming its support, considering this decision comes as Gaza is tipping into famine, and given your own personal and persistent appeals that humanitarian aid to Gaza, Gaza civilians increase and not decrease?

Mr. Secretary General welcome to Washington. Welcome back. The United States Congress, as you well know remains at a political impasse regarding continued aid to Ukraine and the European Union is likewise struggling politically to restart the flow of resources into Kyiv. You yourself have said that Ukraine’s spring offensive didn’t lead to the results that many had hoped for. So how long does Ukraine’s military have before the marginal successes that it did notch when it enjoyed steadier resources from the West, risk being reversed by Russia, which seems to be enjoying growing support from the likes of North Korea and Iran? And briefly, Mr. Secretary General, I understand you’ll be meeting with American lawmakers during this trip to Washington much as President Zelenskyy did when he was here late last year. Is there a message you believe you can deliver to those lawmakers to make a timely difference in their decision making? Thank you.

Secretary Blinken:

Thank you very much. And thank you for also representing all your colleagues and making sure that you ask all their questions as well. Appreciate it.  Look first, I think it’s very important to note that this is an incredibly volatile time in the Middle East.  I would argue that we have not seen a situation as as dangerous as the one we’re facing now across the region since at least 1973. And arguably, even even before that, and that is the environment in which we’re operating. And of course that was triggered by the horrific attacks of October 7 by Hamas, against innocent men, women and children.  We’ve made very, very clear from day one, that we’re going to defend our people. We’re going to defend our personnel. We’re going to defend our interests and that’s exactly what we’ve done. We’ve taken action and significant action to deter groups to degrade their capabilities in Iraq, in Syria, in Yemen.  At the same time, the President’s been very clear that we want to prevent broader escalation. We want to prevent this conflict from spreading.  So we are intent on doing both, that is standing up for our people when they’re attacked, while at the same time working every single day to prevent the conflict from growing and spreading. And that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do. It’s fundamentally what’s in the interest of the United States. What’s in the interests of the region, and I think what’s in the interests of the world.

But the President said this, I think virtually from day one, to anyone who would try to use the crisis in the Middle East the conflict in the Middle East. To sow further instability and to use it as an excuse to attack our personnel. We will respond, we will respond strongly. We will respond at a time and place of our choosing. And obviously I’m not going to telegraph what we might do in this instance or get ahead of the President. But I can again tell you that as the President said yesterday, we will respond and that response could be multi levelled, come in stages and be sustained over time.

With regard to UNRWA, the reports that we got last week and UNRWA brought them to us, were deeply, deeply troubling.  It is imperative that UNRWA immediately, as it said it would, investigate that it would hold people accountable as necessary, and that it review its procedures. I had a very good conversation with Secretary General the United Nations Guterres  last week when we were first made aware of these allegations. And we’re going to be looking very hard at the steps that UNRWA takes, again to make sure that this is fully and thoroughly investigated, that there’s clear accountability and that is necessary, measures are put in place so that this doesn’t happen again, assuming the allegations are fully borne out. Certainly we’ve not had the ability to investigate them ourselves. But they are highly, highly credible.  At the same time, and as you indicated.  UNRWA has played and continues to play an absolutely indispensable role in trying to make sure that men, women and children who so desperately need assistance in Gaza, actually get it and no one else can play the role that UNRWA has been playing, certainly not in the in the near term. No one has the the reach, the capacity, the structure to do what UNRWA  has been doing. And from our perspective, it’s important, more than important, imperative that that that role continues. So that only underscores the importance of UNRWA tackling this as quickly, as effectively and as thoroughly as possible, and that’s what we’re looking for.

Secretary General:

I will meet members of Congress tomorrow. And, of course, I’m looking forward to discussing many issues with them, including Ukraine. I’m confident that all NATO Allies also the United States will continue to provide support to Ukraine, because this is in our own security interest to do so. It will be a tragedy for Ukrainians if President Putin wins but it will also make the world more dangerous and us all of us more insecure.  It will embolden other authoritarian leaders, not only Putin, but also North Korea, Iran and China to use force. Today it’s Ukraine,  tomorrow it could be Taiwan. So therefore it is in our interest to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation, and the support we are providing is making a difference.  There’s a steady flow of ammunition, weapons from NATO Allies. And we have seen that this support has enabled the Ukrainians to actually make big achievements. We have to remember where we started, when this war started, or when the full fledged invasion happened in February last year, most experts feared that Russia would control Kyiv within days and and the whole of Ukraine within weeks. The reality is that the Ukrainians were able to push back the Russian forces, and they have liberated 50% of the territory that Russia occupied at the beginning of the war. They have been able to inflict heavy losses on the Russian Armed Forces more than 300 [thousand] casualties, thousands of armoured vehicles have been destroyed, and hundreds of planes.  And this is something we all have achieved without putting any NATO soldier, US soldier, or any other NATO solar in harm’s way.  But just by providing military support to Ukraine, and Ukrainians have been able to open the western part of the Black Sea to push the Russian Black Sea Fleet to the east. So they’re now able to export grain and other commodities through the Black Sea. These are substantial achievements, and they continue to conduct deep strikes on Russian positions. So this idea that it doesn’t help to help them. Actually Ukrainians have proved the opposite. Then of course, we all would like to have seen more progress in the offensive, but we should not underestimate the achievements the Ukrainians have already made. And if we want an end to this war, the only way to end this war is to convince Putin he will not win on the battlefield. And the only way to achieve that is to provide weapons to Ukraine, from the United States, from other Allies and partners. So, support for Ukraine is a good deal for NATO, for the United States, for all of us.  Wars are by nature unpredictable, but the only thing we know is that is that we need to continue to support them. And I’m confident that we will do so and also when they meet in Washington, I’m confident that Allies will again commit to sustain their support for Ukraine.

Caitriona Perry, BBC:

Mr. Secretary, if I could just follow up on my colleagues comments there, you referred to a multistage response to yesterday’s attack. Do you hold Iran directly responsible? Do you consider the US to be at war or on the verge of war, at this point? And what impact would any response have on the hostage ceasefire deal which we’re told is at an advanced advanced stage at this point? And Mr. Secretary General, if I could ask you what NATO’s view is of the risk of the US becoming involved in a direct conflict with Iran, what that means for NATO’s other priorities, including Ukraine, and on the risk to further US funding of Ukraine?  Can NATO and other Allies, including the EU, keep Ukraine going without the US if they need to do that?  And just on the point of EU and European countries, on the issue of Sweden, and Hungary holding out on its ratification of membership, do you think is that forthcoming soon? And what does that mean for future expansion of NATO? Thank you.

Secretary Blinken:

So the attacks that have taken place since October on our on our forces, on our personnel in both Iraq and Syria, have been conducted by groups that are aligned with with Iran and indeed are supported by Iran. funded by Iran. equipped by Iran.  And I would note that the presence of our forces in both Iraq and Syria has nothing to do with with Gaza, nothing to do with the the conflict that’s taken place since October 7 since the horrific attacks by Hamas and everything to do with making sure that ISIS doesn’t reemerge. That’s why they’re there. Something that Iran should share as an interest but on the contrary, the groups that are aligned with it, have been conducting these attacks. And as I mentioned, we do not seek conflict with Iran. We do not seek war with Iran. But we have and we will continue to defend our personnel and to take every action necessary to do that, including responding very vigorously to the attack that that just took place. And as I mentioned, I’m not going to get ahead of where the President is.  I’m certainly not going to telegraph the response, but as I mentioned, that response could well be multi levelled. It could come in stages. And it could be sustained over time.  At the same time, totally separately, we have been working to try to get hostages back out of Gaza and at the same time to get an extended pause.  And that effort is something that we’re very, very actively pursuing right now. With, of course, our partners in Qatar and Egypt, as well as Israel.  Those who are trying to expand the conflict, broaden the conflict, escalate the conflict, they may say that they’re doing that somehow in response to Gaza. But every action they’re taking really is to perpetuate the conflict and to and to expand it. They don’t have the interests of anyone in mind except their own interests as they see them. And we’re determined again that we do everything possible not to see the conflict expand. On the contrary, we’re working to end it and ended in a way that the atrocities of October 7 never happened again.

As well as the suffering that we’ve seen on the part of Israelis and Palestinians alike, doesn’t happen again. That’s what we’re working toward.  And that’s where our focus is.

Secretary General:

First on the issue of a Swedish membership, I welcome of course that Türkiye now has finalised the ratification process with the decision in the parliament and also the signature from President Erdogan This demonstrates that Türkiye has followed up and delivered on what we all promised at the NATO summit in in Vilnius last last summer, and it demonstrates that NATO’s door is open. I spoke last week with the Prime Minister Orban of Hungary because now Hungary is the only country that has not yet finalised the ratification process. Prime Minister Orban very clear that he supports Swedish membership of NATO. He told me that then parliament in Hungary will reconvene at the end of February and I expect also in line with what he saidm that the parliament will then finalise certification shortly after that.  So I’m confident that Sweden will be a full member of the Alliance, that will make NATO stronger it will send a clear message to Moscow, and it will demonstrate that it’s for NATO Allies to decide who is going to be a member Moscow have no veto over NATO enlargement.

Then on Iran, of course Iran is responsible for de stabilising the whole region that needs stability and security in the Middle East. It is repressive at home and aggressive abroad. We have seen this through many different attacks and also the different proxy groups, terrorist groups that Iran supports.  This underlines of course, also the risk of escalation and therefore I welcome the efforts by the United States to address these risks. And it is important that we also realise that Russia and Iran are now aligning more and more. Russia is more and more dependent on drones from Iran. They actually built a new factory in Russia, based on Iranian drone technology. And in return, Russia is providing advanced technology to Iran. So it demonstrates how authoritarian regimes are now coming closer and closer. And the only answer to that is that NATO Allies, all those countries that believe in democracy, how to stand together as we do in NATO.

Alex Marquardt, CNN:

Mr. Secretary, if I could start with you, specifically about the hostage and ceasefire talks. Can you share specifically what progress was made yesterday in Paris? The Qatari Prime Minister after his meeting with you he made it sound like a broad framework had been agreed to and it was being taken to Hamas for them to take a look at, do you believe that it is the language surrounding the end of hostilities, that is the biggest sticking point? And if you would also comment on how, to what extent Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comments about no Palestinian sovereignty his leaked recording about criticising Qatar, his ministers talking about resettling Gaza, to what extent has that complicated these conversations over an eventual deal? And Mr. Secretary General, following on some of my colleagues questions, how much do you think Ukraine’s war efforts are suffering because of the dwindling amount of US aid and the uncertainty about whether more will be coming? How can you convince the US and others to continue sending advanced systems and large, large amounts of aid when they could they say that supply issues are growing? Thank you.

Secretary Blinken:

So first, of course, look, the less said the better in terms of where we are in pursuing a resumption of getting hostages out and back home with their families. What I can tell you is this, I think the work that’s been done, including just this weekend, is important and is hopeful in terms of seeing that process resume. Recall that, the first go round, we were able, with our partners in Qatar and Egypt, to get an agreement that resulted in the release of more than 100 hostages and I believe that the proposal that is on the table, and that is shared among all of the critical actors, of course, Israel, but also with Qatar and Egypt playing a critical role in mediating and working between Israel and Hamas, I believe the puzzle is a strong one, and a compelling one that, again, offers some hope that we can get back to this process, but Hamas will have to make its own decisions. I can just tell you that there is again, strong, I would say alignment among the countries involved that this is a good, strong proposal and the work that was done over the weekend, including by CIA director Bill Burns, was important in helping to advance this, as to comments that people make, or that come out into the media, look, all I can tell you is this. It’s my strong assessment, that certainly Israel would very much like to see this process of hostages coming out, resume.  It may be, well, I don’t want to speak for the Israelis, but I can certainly say from the perspective of the United States because we of course, have American citizens are involved, this is at the very top of our list and has been from from day one. And I believe that Israeli leadership and certainly Israeli society feels very, very strongly about it. So we’ll see. I can’t say anything more than that, but I can say that very important, productive work has been done. And there is some real hope going forward.

Secretary General:

The United States has demonstrated leadership in mobilising NATO allies to support Ukraine and I count on the United States, and I am confident that United States will continue to do so, because it is in the interest of the United States to ensure that President Putin does not win in Ukraine.  And that we have to remember that this is something we should do together and all NATO Allies and partners, as Secretary Blinken just referred to, European allies have actually provided more support in total for Ukraine than the United States. I commend the United States but we must not forget that this is a joint effort of all Allies.  And if we put together what European Allies and Canada are providing its actually exceeds the US support. So this is burden sharing, a joint effort by all Allies together, and we do so in solidarity with Ukraine. But our support is not charity. It is an investment in our own security because we know that this is closely watched also in Beijing.  And we also see how China and Russia are aligning more and more, how China is propping up the Russian economy, including the defence production, we see how China is repeating and spreading the same narrative about the war as as Russia, how China has failed to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine, and then we have to remember that just days before the full scale invasion, China and Russia, President Xi and President Putin, signed a joint partnership agreement where they promised each other limitless partnership. So I understand that that many Allies are also concerned about China. But that’s not an argument for being less concerned about Ukraine.

Security is not regional security is global. What happens in Europe matters for Asia. What happens in Asia matters for Europe and today, it’s Ukraine tomorrow it can be Taiwan. So therefore, it is in our interest to ensure that we provide the weapons and support they need, and I’m confident that Allies will do so.  To make sure that we can do that we need the money but we also need to ramp up production. And I welcome what has been done in the United States, on Wednesday I will go to Alabama to a factory there where they are producing Javelins, Lockheed Martin, to recognise the importance of ramping up production. We have to understand that the fact that European Allies are now investing more in defence is a good deal for the United States, demonstrating that NATO’s security is good for the United States.  Just over the last two years, European NATO allies have agreed  contracts for the US defence industry worth 120 billion US dollars. We need to do more. And therefore, I welcome also that NATO has now the last months actually agreed contracts worth $10 billion to ramp up production of ammunition, of interceptors for the Patriot batteries, and so on, that enable us to replenish our own stocks but also to continue to provide support to Ukraine. So we are able, we have the will. And I’m confident that we’ll have the necessary decisions both in the United States and Europe to continue to support.

Anders Tvegård, NRK:

Mr. Secretary, the Biden administration’s policy on supporting Israel is unmistakable. How would you look at the interim ruling by the World Court on Gaza? And if I may, you talked about Congress and the funds. What message does this send about US leadership when your administration cannot, or won’t hold words, or promises you cannot fulfil by action?  Mr. Stoltenberg, you have now repeatedly warned about that China is watching the discussions over here about arming Ukraine. How does this play out, how will China use this?

Secretary Blinken:

Let me take the second part of the question first. I think you’ve heard both from me and from the Secretary General, how critical this this ongoing funding is both from the United States as well as from our partners and Allies around the world and in fact, the EU European Union is also looking at additional support that it wants to provide to Ukraine and that decision is also critical. I think these are mutually reinforcing. As Jens said, the fact that our own Allies and partners have actually provided more than the United States, as much as we’ve already done, should reinforce the message to Congress as its considering the supplemental budget request, that we really do have, what is so critical, and that is burden sharing. That this is a load that is being borne more than equitably among Allies and partners. And by the way, not just in Europe, of course, we have key partners in other parts of the world and notably in Asia who are participating in this.  But equally, if the United States doesn’t follow through on our on our commitments, then it’s going to make it more difficult to have Europeans and others continue to do what they’ve already been doing. So I think it matters a lot, more than a lot. I think it’s essential that we do make, make good on our commitments. And as we do, I’m convinced that Allies and partners around the world will continue to do what they’ve been doing. And I also remain confident that in Congress, we continue to have strong and bipartisan support for Ukraine. So let’s see in the days and weeks ahead, as this moves forward, there is no other magic pot of money. And we are now currently out of the military assistance that we’ve been providing to Ukraine and we’re even seeing some evidence of what that means on the on the battlefield. So it is absolutely vital, absolutely urgent that we do it. And it is important in the terms that you’ve laid down, which is what does this mean for our word and our leadership around the world, but I’m confident that as we do it, you will see the benefits of that leadership with many other countries. Allies and partners alike continuing to do what’s necessary with us to defend Ukraine. With regard to the ICJ ruling first, let me just say broadly, that we continue to believe clearly that the allegations of genocide are without merit we have consistently made clear to Israel, going back to the early days, the imperative of taking every possible step to protect civilian life, to get humanitarian assistance to those who need it.  And also to address dehumanising rhetoric that we’ve heard from some individuals.  The court in this decision agreed with that. And the court’s ruling is also very consistent with our view that Israel has the right to take action to ensure that the terrorist attacks of October 7 never happen again, in accordance with international law. So I can just say we took note of the the opinion we will continue to monitor the proceeding as it as it moves forward.

Secretary General:

China is not an adversary and I welcome the fact that the United States and other Allies engage with China in dialogue on issues of mutual concern, like climate change and an arms control.  But at the same time, we have to take seriously the consequences for our security, the significant military buildup, which China now is undertaking, and also the fact that the war in Ukraine is bringing China and Russia closer with the substantial support that China provides to Russia in different ways and the promise of limitless partnership in the midst of this brutal war, aggression against Ukraine.  Of course, the size of the Chinese economy, the significant military buildup, all of that is a challenge for all NATO Allies, also for the United States. The United States is by far the biggest Ally.  But it is a great advantage even for the United States to have so many friends and Allies as you have a NATO. No other major power, Russia and China has nothing similar. The US represents 25% of the world’s GDP but together with NATO Allies, we represent 50% of the world’s GDP and 50% of the world’s military might. So it’s no reason why the US should deal with China alone. Together, we are so much stronger. It demonstrates that NATO is a good deal for the United States. It’s good for all European Allies, but also for the United States. So therefore, one of the messages from the Summit next summer, I expect will be that we need to stand together in a more dangerous world. NATO is more needed than ever, because we live in a more unpredictable and dangerous world.

Source: NATO

Prime Minister Spajić,
Dear Mickey,

Welcome to NATO. It’s great to see you again and a pleasure to receive you here at the NATO Headquarters.

Montenegro is a highly valued NATO Ally.

You have deployed troops to our battlegroups in Bulgaria and Latvia,
helping to deter Russian aggression.

In Iraq, Montenegro is contributing to building more effective and inclusive security forces, as part of NATO’s training mission.

Montenegro also plays an important role in the Western Balkans,
A region of strategic importance to NATO,
which I visited last autumn.

So Prime Minister, I welcome your strong commitment to reforms and Montenegro’s path to full Euro-Atlantic integration.
This is even more important as stability in the broader region remains fragile.

Last year’s outbreaks of violence in Kosovo were unacceptable.
And NATO responded swiftly, deploying 1,000 additional troops and heavy armour.
We are committed to ensuring that KFOR continues to fulfil its UN mandate.

We also spoke about the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The North Atlantic Council – all 31 NATO Ambassadors – will visit Sarajevo next week.
A demonstration of strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. 

All political leaders must work to preserve unity. 
This is crucial for the stability of the country and the region.

Russia’s war against Ukraine is nearing the two-year mark.

And I welcome Montenegro’s support for Ukraine, including through NATO’s comprehensive assistance package.

But NATO Allies and the European Union need to step up and provide even more funding for Ukraine at this critical time.

Because if President Putin wins in Ukraine, there is a real risk he will use force again.

Today we also discussed the preparations for our next Summit in Washington in July, and our work to bolster NATO’s deterrence and defence.

Sweden’s entry into NATO will make the whole Alliance stronger.

So I welcome this week’s vote by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership.
And I thank President Erdogan for his swift signature of the decision.

I also welcome this week’s clear message of support from Prime Minister Orban and his government.
I look forward to Hungary’s ratification as soon as the parliament reconvenes.

So Prime Minister, once again, thank you for coming here.
And thank you for your strong support for our transatlantic Alliance.

Please.

Acting NATO Spokesperson Dylan White

Thank you, we’ll go to questions starting with Radio Television Montenegro here please.

Ivan Mijanovic (Radio Television Montenegro)

Thank you very much Ivan Mijanovic, Radio Television Montenegro. Mr. Secretary General, how do you assess the security situation now in the region after recent events in Kosovo, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the presence of the third parties in the region of Western Balkans? Do you think that this presence has increased since Russian aggression to Ukraine and what are mechanisms that NATO has in order to tackle this phenomena?

And in other question, if I may for you, Turkish parliament as you said, gave a long awaited approval to membership of Sweden to NATO. And you recently had a call with Prime Minister Orbán do you expect that all the procedure could be finished until the next ministerial meeting in February and that NATO can welcome Sweden as a full-fledged member until then, and for Mr. Prime Minister, does Montenegro have plans maybe to reinforce its presence in the NATO led missions in the region and on the eastern flank of the Alliance? Thank you very much.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

First, on the situation in the Western Balkans. Of course, the Western Balkans is of great importance for NATO. We have a history there, we have presence there, because peace and stability in the region matters for the whole of NATO, and therefore we were very concerned when we saw an uptick in violence and tensions throughout last year, with some very serious incidents, especially in Kosovo, and that led to the decision by our military commanders to reinforce the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo with additionally one thousand troops, because NATO has to be able to ensure that we are delivering our UN mandate to ensure stability and the freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo. And that was my main message also when I visited Kosovo and the region last fall, and we are constantly assessing any need for further adjustment or a presence. In Bosnia Herzegovina, the message is that all parties should refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and the territorial integrity and the international recognised borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be respected. We worked closely with the European Union, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we actually are working on the ground together. But also we support by our military presence in Kosovo. The EU facilitated dialogue and dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade is the only way forward to find a lasting solution. Then on Sweden’s accession into NATO. Swedish membership in NATO will make NATO stronger and all of us safer. And therefore I welcome that Montenegro actually very rapidly ratified and accepted the Swedish accession into our Alliance. I welcome the decision by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye to ratify and also that President Erdoğan shortly after the decision, actually last night, gave his signature to the decision of the parliament. So now all the decisions are in place in Türkiye. I spoke with Prime Minister Orbán of Hungary, earlier this week, he very clearly conveyed that he support, he supports the accession of Sweden into NATO. And it has been made clear that the parliament will take up this as soon as the parliament convenes and the message is that the parliament will then support the ratification of Swedish membership. The message I have received from Budapest is that the parliament will reconvene at the end of February so we have to wait for that. But I’m absolutely confident and I count on Hungary that the ratification of Sweden will be ratified as soon as the parliament convenes at the end of February.

Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajić

As in regards to Montenegro’s commitment to Western Balkans, it’s absolutely clear why we are stressing out and why we think it’s so important for Montenegro because we are in the heart of Western Balkans. We are surrounded by the countries of Western Balkans and it’s in our deep national interest that Western Balkans is peaceful, prosperous, that lacking the foreign malign influence and having an opportunity to become a true part of NATO, Europe, EU and other organisations that are democratic, and they’re helping the region to step forward in terms of the economy and democracy. As per our commitment in, we are already very present in Kosovo. We stand ready to strengthen our position in Kosovo. We are –we think that situation has calmed down recently, but as we have discussed, we are always ready to help. And it’s in our deep national interest as I said that we maintain peace in Kosovo, the same goes for Bosnia Herzegovina, our unwavering commitment to Bosnia’s territorial integrity and peace is utmost importance for Montenegro. As I say we share the big border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have offered our help in terms of the experts and training to KFOR – to the people in Bosnia so we are definitely ready to be credible Ally to –in NATO in any shape and form.

Acting NATO Spokesperson Dylan White

Seeing no further questions, that concludes this press point. Thank you all very much.

Source: NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg:

So good morning. I am pleased to be here today with the General Manager of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, Stacy Cummings – welcome to you.

The NSPA enables NATO Allies to acquire, operate, and maintain critical capabilities for our security. So Stacy, thank you for the critical work that you and the Agency do.

We have just concluded contracts worth 1.2 billion US dollars to buy hundreds of thousands of rounds of 155-millimetre artillery ammunition.

This demonstrates that NATO’s tried and tested structure for joint procurement is delivering.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has become a battle for ammunition so it is important that Allies refill their own stocks, as we continue to support Ukraine.

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency enables Allies to pull together and pool their resources. To give them the weapons and ammunition we need to keep our countries safe.
Since we agreed NATO’s Defence Production Action Plan last July, the NSPA has agreed contracts worth around 10 billion US dollars.

This includes around 4 billion dollars for howitzer shells, tank ammunition, anti-tank guided missiles and 155-millimetre ammunition, together with 5.5 billion dollars for Patriot interceptor missiles.

This is a significant boost for our transatlantic defence industry, helping us to meet our own security needs while continuing to provide vital support for Ukraine.

Today I will chair a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, focused on how we can further step up our industrial production. And NATO Defence Ministers will address this again when they meet next month.

This week will also see the start of Exercise Steadfast Defender – the largest NATO exercise in decades with approximately 90,000 forces from all 31 Allies and Sweden.

This Article 5 exercise is a clear demonstration of our transatlantic unity and strength and our determination to continue to do whatever is necessary to protect and defend each other. That includes making sure we have the right forces, capabilities and ammunition.

So I welcome Allies’ commitment to make major new investments. Again, I want to thank Stacy and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency for everything they do to make this possible.

Thank you.

General Manager of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, Stacy Cummings:

Thank you, Mr. Secretary General. It is important that we invest in robust supply chains capable of delivering against new and urgent requirements. Multi-year multinational contracts provide a clear demand signal to industry to do just that. This in turn creates incentives for investments in industrial production capacity. 

When working with NSPA, nations benefit from economies of scale through a proven turnkey solution. These new contracts are an excellent example of Allies working together to create long term assured demand and support NATO’s goal to strengthen production capacity in Europe. 

This is what we do at NSPA. We are the lead organization for multinational acquisition, sustainment and support to NATO. Ultimately, through our collaborative efforts, we bolster NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities. 

We are paving the way for innovative approaches to replenish stocks of ammunition, weapon systems and equipment across the Alliance. On behalf of the entire NSPA team. I thank you and the nations for your continued trust.

Q&A

Acting NATO Spokesperson Dylan White: Thank you we’ll go to questions. First from Deutsche Welle over here, please.

Teri Schultz (Deutsche Welle): Hi, thank you to both of you. Mr. Secretary General, does this new acquisition which admittedly won’t arrive for more than a year to the Allies that are purchasing this, do you think that will encourage more shipments of ammunition to Ukraine? And does that indicate that actually they do have more they could send? Even though they’ve mostly said that their cupboards are bare. And what do you think about primarily the Baltic states’ push to change the slogan ‘we’ll stand by Ukraine, as long as it takes’ to ‘we’ll give Ukraine whatever it takes.’ And also for NSPA, what do you think about the progress toward standardising 155 millimetre ammunition? People like CMC, Rob Bauer have called for it for a long time, the military would be more useful in joint acquisitions like this. Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Increased production of ammunition is an absolute necessity to enable us to continue to provide support to Ukraine. Because so far we have dug into our stocks, but with the consumption of ammunition we see in Ukraine and the needs we see to continue to provide support to Ukraine, we need to ramp up production and that’s exactly what the NATO allies are doing.

We agreed on the Defence Production Action Plan last July. Since then NSPA has signed contracts worth 10 billion US dollars. So these are important building blocks, important steps, towards delivering more but also producing more and to ensure that we have the necessary production capacity Allies need to sign contracts with industry.

We need to do more joint procurement as we do through the NSPA the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, and we need to adhere to NATO standards. Because adhering to standards ensures that we have are able to reduce costs, but also that we have ammunition and systems which are interoperable and interchangeable. So yes, this is important to defend our own territory, to build up our own stocks, but also to continue to support Ukraine.

We will support Ukraine with the systems and the weapons and the ammunition they need to prevail as a sovereign independent country, because we cannot allow President Putin to win in Ukraine. That will be a tragedy for Ukrainians, and dangerous for all of us.

NSPA General Manager Stacy Cummings: Thank you. Thank you for that question. The reason that we were able to put together this particular contract is because nations are using common and standard 155 ammunition, which allows them to work together to get economies of scale and send a very strong message to industry. As we look towards the weapons systems of tomorrow towards that next generation, this year, we’ve established an acquisition capability at NSPA. So that we have a focused effort on having a platform to allow nations to work together from the beginning of a lifecycle so that we don’t have this issue of lack of standardisation in the future and we can buy systems as well as the ammunition that supports them together. So thanks for that question.

Acting NATO Spokesperson Dylan White: Second and final question to Radio Free Europe, Ukrainian service.

Olena Abramovych (Radio Free Europe): Thank you for giving me the floor. I have a question regarding when can this ammunition actually get to battlefields in Ukraine? I understand that NATO doesn’t supply it directly, but on a bilateral basis, but if you look at this processes of production, etc, etc. when do you expect it  – and  maybe which percentage because nations have to replenish their stocks as well. And Secretary General you personally, do you believe that in the nearest future – let’s say in the next decade – any Russian tanks can enter any European capital like in the Baltic states? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Russian forces?

Olena Abramovych (Radio Free Europe): Russian tanks or forces. I mean, will this ammunition be used, actually, in European states? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: So first of all, Allies have all stepped up production. So there is increased flow of ammunition to Allies. And they use that increased production to partly replenish their own stocks, but also partly to enable continued delivery to Ukraine. So this is an ongoing process almost daily, at least weekly, Allies are delivering weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

To increase production in the future, of course, enables us to continue to do so and that’s why these contracts are so important. And maybe so, Stacy Cummings can say some more details about the exact timing but this is – for Allies – enabling them to protect themselves and continue to support Ukraine. Then we don’t see any direct or imminent threat against any NATO Ally. And therefore, we, of course, monitor closely what Russia does, we have increased our vigilance, our presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, but the whole idea of that is to prevent an attack on a NATO Ally.

So when the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine happened in February last year in 2022 – almost two years ago – then it was clear for NATO that we had two tasks. One was to support Ukraine and NATO Allies are giving Ukraine unprecedented support and I’m confident they will continue to do so. The other task was of course, to prevent this war from escalating to full scale war between Russia and NATO. And we did that by deploying more combat troops to the eastern part of the Alliance, by further increasing our defence investments, and also by exercising more.

We will have the big exercise starting later this week, which will be the biggest exercise in decades for NATO, with 90,000 personnel participating. We do all of this to ensure that we have the readiness, the preparedness and the forces in place to remove any room for miscalculation or misunderstanding in Moscow about our readiness to protect every inch of NATO territory. And as long as we do that, there will be no attack against the NATO territory.

NSPA General Manager Stacy Cummings: The ammunition support partnership recently celebrated its 30th year and we have been supporting Allies throughout the years with contracts like the one that we announced the award of today. So today’s contract will enable the delivery of 155 rounds to nations and the expected delivery time for orders placed today are within 24 to 36 months.

Acting NATO Spokesperson Dylan White: That concludes this press point. Thank you very much.

Source: NATO

Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The NATO Military Committee has just concluded its two-day meeting.

The NATO Chiefs of Defence – together with Invitee Sweden – discussed the defence plans that were agreed at the Vilnius Summit.

These plans contain Force Structure Requirements, which set the number and types of equipment and organisations that we require, across all regions and domains.

This feeds directly into the NATO Defence Planning Process and will shape our armed forces for decades to come.

Never before have NATO and national defence plans been so closely interlinked.

Allies are now actively working to maximise the executability of these new defence plans.

That means – should it come to it – we want to be able to execute these plans with a minimum amount of risk.

This is about preparedness.

NATO is stronger and readier than it has ever been. Together, we have made immense strides in our collective defence.

But we want and need to do more, in order to deter and defend any potential threat.

In a few minutes, both the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Chris Cavoli, and the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Chris Badia will talk about how we do that, now and in the future.

As I said yesterday: this requires a whole-of-society approach.  

We need more societal resilience. More energy independence, resilient infrastructure.

And across the board, but especially for a key topic such as Integrated Air and Missile Defence, we need a fundamentally new approach to public-private cooperation in the defence industry.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Yesterday, we were briefed by the Ukrainian Military Representative to NATO, Major General Salkutsan – on behalf of Ukrainian Chief of Defence General Zalushnyy.

Our assessment is: there is intense fighting going on. And while Russia’s most recent attacks are devastating, they are not militarily effective.

At the same time, we see substantial military successes on the Ukrainian side.

While the world may have been overly optimistic in 2023, it is important that in 2024 we don’t become overly pessimistic. 

Today is the 694th (!) day of what Russia thought would be a 3-day war.

Ukraine has prevailed as a sovereign independent nation in Europe. They are closer to the Euro-Atlantic family than ever.

And they have inflicted heavy losses on Russia:

For example, more than 300,000 Russian casualties (killed and wounded).

For example, thousands of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles and hundreds of planes have been destroyed.

The Ukrainians have been able to liberate significant parts of their territory, pushing back the Russians from roughly 50% of what they occupied at the beginning of the war.

Another gain is that the Ukrainians have been able to conduct deep strikes, destroying key Russian capabilities.

The fact that Ukraine has been able, without a real navy, to push back the Russian Black Sea Fleet and open up a grain corridor is another huge gain.

All military leaders around the table affirmed their strong commitment to helping our Ukrainian brothers and sisters defend themselves.

This is not charity. Support to Ukraine is a direct investment in our own security.

The only way to get a lasting, negotiated solution is to strengthen the Ukrainian position on the battlefield.

 Ladies and Gentlemen,

The world is seeing a record amount of violence and conflict.

In the run up to the NATO summit in Washington this year, NATO is actively looking for ways to strengthen and deepen its partnerships in our southern neighbourhood.

That is why today, the NATO Chiefs of Defence conducted a meeting with their counterparts from the Partner Interoperability Advocacy Group being Australia, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland.

And a dedicated session with NATO’s Indo-Pacific Partners being Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.

We talked about how we can create more and better military cooperation.

When it comes to security, there is no such thing as local.

All security is connected. And that made it all the more valuable to talk to our Partners face to face on developments that concern us all.

We have years, sometimes decades, of cooperation to build on, ranging from information exchange, military education and training to operating side by side in NATO missions and operations.

Meeting with our Partners reminds us that none of us stand-alone in the face of challenges or threats. As long as you have Partners, you have better solutions.

And with that, I would like to give the floor to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
General Cavoli, the floor is yours.

Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher Cavoli

Good afternoon everybody and happy New Year. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak with you for a moment in the afternoon.

I would like to provide an update on ACO operations and upcoming training activities.
Last summer, Allied Heads of State and Government approved our regional plans and gave us the green light to continue with all aspects of modernizing our collective defence system. 

For the first time in 30 years, we have the strategy – deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic area – and we have the plans to make the Alliance fit for the purpose of collective territorial defence. 
We are now in the process of making our plans executable. This means making sure we have the force commitments, command and control arrangements, and the enablement our plans require.

We also need to rehearse and refine our plans through rigorous training and exercises. On that note, I would like to announce the kick-off of Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024 commencing next week and running through May.
Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024 will be the largest NATO exercise in decades, with participation from approximately 90,000 forces from all 31 Allies and our good partner Sweden.

The Alliance will demonstrate its ability to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic area via trans-Atlantic movement of forces from North America. This reinforcement will occur during a simulated emerging conflict scenario against a near-peer adversary.
Steadfast Defender 2024 will be a clear demonstration of our unity, strength, and determination to protect each other, our values and the rules based international order.

Finally, I want to provide an update on the Allied Reaction Force. The ARF is a critical component of our new force model which supports our plans. The ARF is capable of carrying out a full spectrum of missions and serves as a rapid deployable strategic reserve.

In the fall of last year, NATO rapid deployment corps – Italy was selected as the Interim Headquarters for the ARF.

They are currently training, exercising, and rehearsing in preparation for their new role. They are on track to receive validation as the Interim ARF Headquarters following exercise Steadfast deterrence in May.

Thank you again, I look forward to your questions.

Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation – Chris Badia

Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen and thank you very much for being with us today,

Complementing and underlining what has been said by Admiral Bauer and General Cavoli I would like to expand in this context from an Allied Command Transformation view and the role we play in all of this.

And let me start by saying that what you heard is important.

As it is being prepared for today and tonight in order to cope with all possible challenges this Alliance faces or might face, today and the day after tomorrow. This is what my command focuses very much on, on behalf of all NATO.

We as an Alliance with all it‘s nations need to be sure to be more agile and be more flexible and we do this through our agreed transformational pass.

As the warfighting of tomorrow becomes more complex in a multi domain we need to ensure that we are in every aspect faster and better than our competitors.

This goes with nations transformation and this a perpetuous journey and not a one-time event. Our war transformation journey pushes boundaries, forging a collective edge in order to become better every day.

We do this through multi-domain integrated operations, which means seamless warfare across sea, land and air. Those are the classic domains. But the new two domains are cyber and space. And I get to that in a second but we are now working within five domains and we have to completely understand what that means. And this what transformation is very much about.

With that of course we have to look at flexible command structures, for rapid adaptation to ever-changing threats and unwavering interoperability, united action systems that we have and this is from the first minute we are needed.

And continuous capability advancement in order to stay ahead of the curve. With that we are shaping a strong and more agile military within the 31 nations.

The world demands even greater agility and flexibility. The past two days’ discussions focused exactly on achieving just that.

Informed by the latest strategic concepts, we are now in “defence planning” mode, how we go forward on all those things. We are identifying the capabilities we need individually and collectively, with speed and strength. And capabilities are the foundation because without capabilities we can’t put anything against it.

The main part is how we change into all this – as we call it a multi-domain enabled Alliance, in order to fulfil multi-domain operations.

And this is within the new understanding because as much as with the military on the same side we look at how the civil domain holds and how there be more synergies, in order to become better and stronger.

So my domain is not only about operations in multi-domains, it is through multi-domain operations overall. How do we do that?

Number one, we look very much at interaction. So increased cooperation with non-military actors. And just to give you one example here. If you look at space for instance. Space has a lot of civil infrastructure. And there is no need to duplicate everything in order to use space to a better extent and this how transformation also goes.

How do we cooperate with the civil world and find all those synergies? Just as an example – connectivity – synchronizing military and non-military effects as I already alluded to, converging effects and last not but least all the integration, fully embracing cyber and space as operational domains.

The precondition to transform into multi-domain enabled Alliance is digital transformation. And it goes without saying this is happening in parallel. So if you will in short, we are transforming from a platform-centric force into a data-centric force.

Our strengths will remain unity with interoperability with all of that.

The Alliance is always greater than the sum of its parts. MDO embodies this principle, leveraging our collective strength and interoperability.

So in closing ladies and gentlemen, transformation is not a luxury for NATO, it’s a necessity and we are very well prepared for that.

And one last remark for you.

Everything we do is also based on a strategic foresight and strategic foresight analysis means the outlook on what will change.  And we just put it on our ACT website, as today there is the new strategic foresight analysis, released today. So whenever you want to see what NATO thinks about, what the future challenges might be, you will find some interesting information there.

Thank you very much.

Source: NATO

At a joint press conference with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (29 January 2024), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commended President Biden and Secretary Blinken for their clear commitment to sustain US support to Ukraine.