Joint press point with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, 21 February 2023.

🗣 | NATO Secretary General:

Minister Kuleba, dear Dmytro,
High Representative Borrell, dear Josep,
It is great to see you both here at NATO Headquarters, so welcome to both of you.

This is a symbol of our solidarity.
NATO and the European Union.
Together.
Standing with Ukraine.

A year ago, President Putin launched his illegal war against a peaceful neighbour.

The facts are clear for all to see.
Nobody is attacking Russia.
Russia is the aggressor.
Ukraine is the victim of aggression.
And we are supporting Ukraine’s right to self-defence right, which is enshrined in the UN Charter.

It is President Putin who started this imperial war of conquest. It is Putin who keeps escalating the war. He thought he could destroy Ukraine and divide us.
But he underestimated the determination of the Ukrainian people to defend their homeland.
And he underestimated our unity.
One year since he launched the Russian invasion,
we see no sign that President Putin is preparing for peace.
On the contrary, as he made clear today, he is preparing for more war.

Russia is launching new offensives.
Mobilising more troops.
And reaching out to North Korea and Iran.

We are also increasingly concerned that China may be planning to provide lethal support for Russia’s war.

Putin must not win.
That would show that aggression works.
And force is rewarded.
It would be dangerous for our own security, and for the whole world.

So we must sustain and step up our support for Ukraine.
We must give Ukraine what they need to win.
And prevail as a sovereign independent nation in Europe.

I welcome the recent announcements by Allies on new tanks, heavy weaponry, and training for Ukrainian troops.
It is urgent to deliver on all these pledges.

This has become a grinding war of attrition,
A battle of logistics.
And key capabilities must reach Ukraine before Russia can seize the momentum.

So Foreign Minister Kuleba, High Representative Borrell and I discussed the need to ramp up production.
And improve our procurement systems.
To continue supporting Ukraine.

Upon Ukraine’s request, we have agreed that NATO should assist Ukraine to develop a procurement system that is effective, transparent and accountable.

We also agreed today to convene a meeting of NATO, EU and Ukrainian procurement experts to see what more we can do together to ensure Ukraine has the weapons it needs.

In NATO, we have been working on ramping up production for many months.
NATO sets the standards for ammunitions and equipment for all Allies.

We have completed an extraordinary survey of munitions stockpiles.
We met with defence industry last fall and continue to engage with them.
And we will increase our targets for munitions stockpiles through the NATO Defence Planning Process.
This will also help give defence industry the long-term demand and contracts they need to invest and produce more.

NATO has had joint procurement among Allies for many years.
I also commend the European Union for their efforts to incentivise greater production.
And NATO is prepared to work with the EU on this going forward.

We have seen a pattern of Russian aggression over many years.
Georgia in 2008.
Crimea and Donbas, 2014.
And the full-fledged invasion last year.

We must make clear that Ukraine’s future is within the Euro-Atlantic family.
When the war ends, we need to put in place long-term arrangements for Ukraine’s security.
To ensure that Russia does not continue to chip away at European security.
And to break the cycle of Russian aggression.

So NATO will continue to stand with Ukraine.
For as long as it takes.
And we will continue to work closely with the European Union to support you.

Let me conclude with this I regret today’s decision by Russia to suspend its participation in the New START Treaty.
Over the last years Russia has violated and walked away from key arms control agreements.
With today’s decision on New START, the whole arms control architecture has been dismantled.
I strongly encourage Russia to reconsider its decision and to respect existing agreements.

And with that, I give the floor to you, Dmytro, please.

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