On Thursday 15 and Friday 16 June, the defence ministers of the allied countries continued their work in support of Ukraine, which has begun its counter-offensive.
“Ukrainian forces have stepped up their operations along the front line. They are making steady progress, but they face difficult terrain, entrenched Russian troops and fierce fighting”, explained NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after the ministerial meeting, adding that it was crucial for the Allies to step up their support.
He therefore welcomed the announcement of the supply of weapons (see EUROPE 13202/27) and training to Ukraine, in particular, the initiative led by the Netherlands and Denmark to begin training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets this summer. “The fact that the Allies are now starting to train (pilots) also means that it will be possible, very soon, to take decisions on the delivery of aircraft”, he explained, adding that the timeframe for delivering jets would depend on the time needed for training and the ongoing assessment of needs and the most effective way of helping Kyiv.
The Secretary General added that the Allies were committed to increasing their support under NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package. Contributions and commitments currently total €500 million.
The Allies are also working to develop a multi-year programme with substantial funding to help rebuild Ukraine’s security and defence sector and ensure Ukraine’s transition to full interoperability with NATO.
On the political front, according to Mr Stoltenberg, the Allies are close to an agreement on the creation of a new NATO-Ukraine Council. Unlike the NATO-Ukraine Commission, Ukraine would be on an equal footing with the NATO Allies. The Council would consult and take decisions on security issues of mutual interest. “Our ambition is to hold the first meeting of the new Council in Vilnius, with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky”, explained Mr Stoltenberg.
With regard to Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO, the Secretary General made it clear that the Allies would not be discussing an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance at the Vilnius summit, as was the case for Sweden and Finland at the Madrid summit, while expressing confidence that a “good solution” and a “consensus” would be found in Vilnius on how to bring Ukraine closer to NATO.
Mr Stoltenberg said that when the war ended, the Allies would have to put in place a framework to guarantee Ukraine’s future security. Asked about the possibility of a security agreement along the lines of the one between the United States and Israel, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin simply said that the United States was concentrating on providing assistance to Ukraine to win the conflict.
Investing more in defence
In addition to support for Ukraine, the defence ministers of the allied countries discussed strengthening their countries’ deterrence and defence. In particular, they examined the new regional plans and discussed the need to speed up the production of military equipment.
The ministers also discussed their countries’ defence spending commitments. In 2014, the Allies pledged to reach 2% of GDP by 2024, a 10-year target. “Today, the need to increase defence spending is imminent. We must not confine ourselves to a one-decade perspective”, warned Mr Stoltenberg.
According to Mr Austin, an agreement should be approved at the summit to update the commitment of the Organisation’s Member States to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence. According to him, many Allies believe that 2% should be a floor and not a ceiling. This will deliver a credible collective defence, the modernisation of capabilities, the strengthening of the defence industrial base and the interoperability of systems”, explained the US Secretary of Defense.
Also, on Thursday, Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark and Luxembourg joined the Multinational Ammunition Warehousing Initiative (MAWI), which plays an important role in pre-positioning adequate stocks of ammunition in support of NATO’s multinational battle groups on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Alongside these four new countries, 23 Allies, Sweden and the NATO Support and Acquisition Agency are taking part in MAWI.
Finally, when asked about a further extension of his mandate as NATO Secretary General, Mr Stoltenberg made it clear that he was not asking for it to be extended. “I have no plans other than to end my work here at the end of my contract”, he stressed, adding that he did not see his mandate being extended.
Progress in implementing EU/NATO cooperation
On the same day, the Council of the EU took note of the eighth progress report on the implementation of the 74 joint proposals between the EU and NATO, which highlights, for the June 2022 to May 2023 period, “tangible deliverables across the entire spectrum of our cooperation agenda, underpinned by our continued robust political dialogue”.
“Ensuring unity, coherence and complementarity of efforts in responding to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and in particular in supporting Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defence, has been a key priority throughout the reporting period”, the report states.
It also highlights the development of cooperation on resilience, the intensification of efforts and interactions in the area of crisis management exercises, and the consolidation of coordination on strengthening the security and defence capabilities of partner countries.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/7kg (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)