What we now see with this brutality, is the scale and the scope of war that we haven't seen in Europe since the Second World War. This is extremely serious. It's horrific. And of course it causes suffering for the Ukrainian people. But it's also dangerous for all of us. And we see the nature of President Putin's war, his lack of respect for the rule of law for international rules, and also his lack of respect for basic human rights, including the right to life, for all those who are killed in this conflict. And this is the most serious security challenge we have faced since the Second World War. And it has triggered very comprehensive and strong response from the whole NATO Alliance.
We NATO Allies provide support to Ukraine, and we have provided support Ukraine for many years. NATO allies have trained 10s of 1000s of Ukrainian troops many of whom are now on the front line fighting against the Russian invaders. NATO allies have equipped Ukrainian military for many years and after the invasion allies stepped up and provided even more support. We see the effect of this support every day on the battlefield, because it is first and foremost the bravery, the courage, of Ukrainian soldiers, but of course the help and the equipment they have received from NATO allies have enabled them to put up much more resistance to fight back in a much more effective way than the Russians expected, they totally underestimated the strength of Ukrainian armed forces, and NATO Allies have declared their further support for Ukraine.
Not least in light of the atrocities we have seen in Bucha and other places in Ukraine. So Allies are providing support and as we continue to provide support, because it is absolutely unacceptable what we see President Putin is doing against a sovereign, independent, democratic nation in Europe.
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NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels this week (6-7 April 2022) will address President Putin’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Allies are stepping up their support for Ukraine’s right to defend itself, including with anti-tank weapons, air-defence systems and other equipment, as well as increased humanitarian assistance and financial aid.
“Moscow is not giving up its ambitions in Ukraine. We now see a significant movement of troops away from Kyiv, to regroup, rearm and resupply, and they shift their focus to the east,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today (5 April 2022) ahead of the meeting.
“Targeting and murdering civilians is a war crime. All the facts must be established and all those responsible for these atrocities must be brought to justice,“ Mr Stoltenberg added, commenting on the horrific images of murdered civilians in Bucha and other places.
NATO Foreign Ministers will be joined by their counterparts from Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, and the European Union, and by NATO’s Asia-Pacific partners - Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea.
“At a time when authoritarian powers are pushing back on the rules-based international order, it is even more important for democracies to stand together, and protect our values,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
Allied Foreign Ministers will also discuss the development of NATO’s next Strategic Concept, to guide the Alliance’s adaptation to the new global security reality. They are also expected to endorse a Charter setting out how the new Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) will help to harness transatlantic innovation.
