NATO agreed on robust defence plans: Stoltenberg

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed alliance leaders making major decisions on the organisation’s future.

Speaking at a press conference after the NATO summit in Lithuania, Stoltenberg said allies had agreed on the alliance’s most robust defence plans since the Cold War.

Affirming their commitment to defence investment, they agreed to bring Ukraine closer to NATO, and deepen partnerships around the world

Stoltenberg chaired the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on Wednesday, when allies were joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The secretary-general underlined that from now on, NATO and Ukraine would meet at the Council level “to discuss and decide as equals”.

He also welcomed allies’ agreement on a new multi-year assistance package to help Ukraine transition from the Soviet-era to NATO equipment and standards, and make their forces fully interoperable with the alliance.

Stoltenberg also hailed the new announcements of support from several allies, who reiterated that Ukraine would become a NATO member. They vowed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan.

“This will change Ukraine’s membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process,” the NATO chief remarked. “We will issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when allies agree that conditions are met.”

Ukraine was “closer to NATO (membership) than ever before”, he believed, stressing allies must ensure credible in place for Ukraine’s the Central Asian nation’s security.

He claimed many allies had committed to providing long-term security assistance to Ukraine.

Earlier on Wednesday, Stoltenberg chaired a meeting of allies with leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the European Union.

He said: “NATO is a regional Alliance, but we face global challenges”. Beijing’s global assertiveness and Moscow’s war against Ukraine required even closer coordination between the alliance, the EU and Indo-Pacific partners

He secretary-general hoped they would work even more closely together, standing strong for a rules-based international order.

Stoltenberg said: “NATO is more united than ever” and thanked President Nausėda, the Lithuanian government and the people of Vilnius for hosting this historic summit.

NATO’s next summit will take place in Washington, D.C. in 2024, marking seventy-five years since the alliance’s founding.

sa/mud

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