The NATO summit is being held in Washington, D.C. from July 10-11, bringing together leaders and representatives from all member countries to discuss key issues and future strategies for the Alliance.
The NATO summit is being held in Washington, D.C. from July 10-11, bringing together leaders and representatives from all member countries to discuss key issues and future strategies for the Alliance.
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17:45 NATO Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg address at the NATO Public Forum.
“What I can say is that when the fighting stops in Ukraine, we need to ensure that that’s really the end. Because what you have seen is a pattern of aggression.
First, Russia annexed Crimea. We said that was unacceptable. After some few months, they went into Eastern Donbas. We said that that was unacceptable.
Then we had the Minsk-1 agreement with the delimitation of the ceasefire line. That was violated, and Russia pushed the front lines further west in Donbas in 2014.
We had Minsk-2, and the Russians waited then for seven years, and they had a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, because Minsk-2 was in 2015.
So we have seen a pattern where they’ve taken slices of Ukraine. So if there is now a new ceasefire, a new agreement, then we need to be 100% certain it stops there, regardless of where that line is. And, therefore, I strongly believe that when the fighting stops, We need to ensure that Ukraine has the capabilities to deter future aggression from Russia.
And the best guarantee will be Article 5,” Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg has listed several points on which he expects member states to agree upon later today:
Establishing a NATO command center for the delivery of security assistance and training to Ukraine, headquartered in Germany but with logistical hubs in eastern Europe.
Delivering F-16 aircraft systems.
Bilateral security agreements between NATO members and Ukraine.
A new joint training center in Poland to guarantee a comprehensive assistance package and ensure that Ukrainian forces are in step with NATO.
Opening statements by NATO Heads of State
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has stated the need for further support for Ukraine until it wins.
“It is important for us that Ukraine is in the center, we must do everything to ensure that Ukraine wins. We must provide them with assistance,” she said.
Alexander Stubb, the President of Finland, sayd Ukraine’s path towards joining NATO is “irreversible”.
“I think it’s very important to give a message to the Kremlin from here that Ukraine’s path and bridge towards NATO membership is now irreversible,” he said.
Previous Announcements
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said 'Putin’s war' is the cause of NATO’s enlargement.
Austin began his speech by talking about NATO’s history and how the principle of collective security was formed in the wake of the Second World War.
He noted that the “first and only time” NATO’s Article 5 was invoked was after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. Article 5 states that an attack on one member of the NATO military alliance is an attack on all.
“NATO stood by us,” he said. “We’re going to stand by NATO.”
Austin continued by saying the US will “not be dragged into Putin’s war of choice”, although it will continue to stand by Ukraine and strengthen the NATO alliance.
“NATO is now larger than ever,” he added. “Putin’s war is not the result of NATO’s enlargement. Putin’s war is the cause of NATO’s enlargement.”
At the opening of the NATO summit, US President Joe Biden announced a historic decision by several countries to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems, including one Patriot battery, the SAMP/T system, NASAMS, HAWK, IRIS-T, and Gepard systems.
NATO countries will provide more than $7 million to support women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including more than 10,000 uniforms, boots, and other necessary equipment.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel signed an Agreement on Security Cooperation between Ukraine and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on July 10.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the transfer of F-16s from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine is underway and that these F-16s will be flying over Ukrainian skies this summer.
On July 9, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a speech at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington, DC, where he condemned Russia’s assault on “Ohmatdyt” Children’s Hospital in Ukraine and emphasized the ongoing need for support.
He emphasized the importance of lifting limitations on striking Russian military aircraft on their bases in order to prevent the Russian military from striking Ukrainian civilians.
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