Secretary General Calls For More Support To Ukraine As NATO Defence Ministers Meet

Speaking at the start of a two-day meeting of NATO Defence Ministers on Tuesday (14 February 2023), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said there are no signs that President Putin is preparing for peace, stressing the urgency of delivering military capabilities to Ukraine quickly so that it can continue to defend itself. 

He added that Allies will also take steps to replenish Allied munitions stocks, and address ways to better protect critical undersea infrastructure. “Allies will also start to discuss the new defence investment pledge to ensure we continue to invest more in defence”, Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg said that Putin is preparing for more war, for new offensives and new attacks.

“So it makes it even more important that NATO Allies and partners provide more support to Ukraine. And we will meet later on today in the US-led Contact Group for Ukraine and address the urgent needs for increased support to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.

According to Stoltenberg, neither NATO nor NATO Allies are party to the conflict.

“What we do as NATO Allies and NATO, is to provide support to Ukraine. Ukraine is defending itself, we need to understand what this is. This is a war of aggression. President Putin, Russia, has attacked a sovereign independent democratic free nation in Europe, Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said, adding, “And of course, Ukraine has the right to defend itself. The right of self-defence is enshrined in the UN Charter, it is a part of international law. And of course, we have the right to help Ukraine uphold the right for self-defence. So NATO and NATO Allies are not party to the conflict, but we support Ukraine in the right of self-defence.”