We can never take peace for granted, but we see no immediate military threat to the Alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today at a press conference after the North Atlantic Council session in Brussels, which was also attended by Bulgaria’s Defence Minister Todor Tagarev.
"NATO continues to ensure that there is no room for miscalculation in Moscow regarding our readiness to protect all allies," Stoltenberg noted.
He stressed that strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense capabilities requires resourcing defense plans and strengthening the transatlantic defense industrial base, which requires investment.
“The Alliance is on the right track towards achieving this objective. I expect 18 allies to spend 2% of their GDP on defence this year. In 2024, NATO's European allies will invest a total of $380 billion in defence. For the first time, that amounts to 2 percent of their total GDP. By the end of 2024, the European allies and Canada will spend more than $600 billion on defence. We still have some way to go, but we have already made historic progress," Stoltenberg said.
He added that the meeting also discussed increasing ammunition production, replenishing stockpiles and continuing support for Ukraine.
"We need to move from the slow pace of peacetime conditions to the high-speed production that conflict requires. To do this, manufacturers need signed contracts, and in the last few months alone, NATO has signed ten billion dollars worth of contracts. This helps Ukraine. It makes NATO stronger and provides more high-skilled jobs in Europe and North America," Stoltenberg added.
He recalled that the exercise "Steadfast Defender" continues. NATO's largest military manoeuvres in decades involve an estimated 90,000 troops from all 31 NATO member states and Sweden, demonstrating the ability of forces from across the pact to defend the eastern flank.
Stoltenberg noted that a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council took place on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, where Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov briefed his counterparts on the latest developments on the ground.
The ministers also pointed to the importance of continued support for Ukraine and from this perspective recalled the announced assistance from Canada, Finland and Norway, the delivery of equipment and spare parts for F-16 and air defence aircraft, as well as the delivery of one million drones to the country and the formation of a "demining coalition" on Ukrainian territory.
"All this will help save the lives of Ukrainians. Together, NATO allies provide 99 percent of all military aid to Ukraine. Our continued commitment is essential to preserving Ukraine's freedom," the Secretary-General stressed.
He informed that a decision has been taken to establish a new NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre in the Polish town of Bydgoszcz.
"It will allow Ukraine to share lessons learned from the war in Russia and create a structure where Ukrainian forces can train alongside their allied counterparts. We will continue to support Ukraine. For Ukraine's sake and for our security," Stoltenberg added. / BGNES
