Secretary General Says NATO To Agree ‘Fundamental Shift’ In Defense Posture

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday (27 June 2022) said NATO leaders meeting in Madrid this week are set to sign off on key decisions, including a new Strategic Concept, a major strengthening of NATO’s deterrence and defence and greater support to Ukraine.

Speaking in Brussels ahead of the Summit which begins on Tuesday, the Secretary General said NATO leaders will also focus on investing in defence, aim to make progress on Finland and Sweden’s historic applications for NATO membership and deepen cooperation with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

In other news, Stoltenberg welcomed the Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson to NATO Headquarters on Monday for discussions on Sweden and Finland’s applications to join the Alliance. The Secretary General said the security concerns of all Allies must be taken into account as part of the NATO accession process and that Türkiye’s concerns are legitimate and must be addressed.