The foreign ministers of NATO member countries, as well as countries invited to join the Alliance, pledged, in a declaration on Tuesday 29 November, to strengthen their support for Ukraine.
“We will continue and further step up political and practical support to Ukraine as it continues to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and our shared values against Russian aggression. And will maintain our support for as long as necessary”, they stressed in a joint statement issued on the occasion of their meeting in Bucharest. Speaking to the media, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the Allies would not back down.
In addition to arms support, including anti-aircraft systems, which Ukrainian Minister Dmytro Kuleba again called for, the Allies pledged to help Ukraine repair its energy infrastructure and protect its population from missile attacks.
“Russia is using brutal missile and drone attacks to leave Ukraine cold and dark this winter. President Putin is trying to weaponise winter, to force Ukrainians to freeze or flee”, Mr Stoltenberg said.
The Secretary General said, without giving details, that the Allies had announced additional contributions to the overall plan to help Ukraine. “This will fund urgent non-lethal support, including fuel and generators”, he explained. And Ukraine will be better able to cope with the consequences of the strikes against their power grid.
Mr Kuleba called on the Allies to provide transformers and generators to restore this network.
The ministers also announced in their statement that they would continue to support Kyiv in countering Russia’s disinformation campaigns and misleading claims. They also stated that they remain “resolute” in supporting Ukraine’s long-term efforts on its path of post-war reconstruction and reforms, so that it “can secure its free and democratic future, modernise its defence sector, strengthen long-term interoperability and deter future aggression”.
“We will continue to strengthen our partnership with Ukraine as it advances its Euro-Atlantic aspirations”, they also promised.
The Allies thus discussed Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. While they reaffirmed NATO’s support for Ukraine’s right to choose its own path and recognised its aspirations for membership, the Secretary General reiterated that the Allies were focused on providing immediate support to Kyiv for Ukrainians to defend themselves against Russian aggression.
Norway has also offered to host an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in 2023.
See the ministers’ statement: https://aeur.eu/f/4cn (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)