On May 30, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg affirmed that the organization is currently implementing a multi-year support program for Ukraine.
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| NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. (Source: Business Recorder) |
Speaking ahead of an informal NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Oslo, Norway, Mr. Stoltenberg said the purpose of the program is to help Ukraine convert Soviet-era standards and equipment to modern standards and equipment of the bloc, while bringing Kiev closer to the alliance.
“We need a long-term security framework for Ukraine,” Mr. Stoltenberg stressed. “It is clear that all NATO allies agree that the door of the alliance is always open and that Kiev will become a member.”
According to the head of NATO, it is Ukraine and the members of the military alliance who will decide on that possibility, not Russia," but noted, "the most important thing right now is to ensure that Kiev will prevail in the conflict, otherwise, there will be no future to discuss."
Secretary General Stoltenberg also said that, regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, what this military alliance chooses to do and not do now will determine the world situation for decades to come.
Stressing that since the conflict in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, NATO allies have provided significant military aid to Kiev, the leader expressed hope that the countries would make more announcements and new decisions in the coming time, as well as at the alliance's summit in July in Lithuania.
At the Lithuania Summit, NATO will further strengthen the alliance's deterrence and defense capabilities, agree detailed plans for defending allies and set precise requirements for what capabilities each country must provide, as well as what forces are required.
“All of these elements are part of the process of transformation and strengthening of NATO that has been underway since 2014, which is restructuring the alliance over the past decade to prepare for the next decade,” Mr. Stoltenberg shared.
In addition, Secretary General Stoltenberg also reaffirmed NATO's commitment to the goal of spending 2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense, saying that this is no longer the ceiling for the military alliance to aim for, but the minimum level that must be achieved.
Regarding new member Finland, during the ongoing exercise in the Arctic, on the same day, NATO emphasized its commitment to protect this Nordic country, helping them "improve their capabilities and be ready to support them in any circumstances".
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