On Friday, July 5, 2024, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previewed next week's Washington summit, stressing that supporting Ukraine will be NATO's "most urgent task."
Points of attention
- The NATO Secretary General emphasized that supporting Ukraine is crucial at the next summit.
- NATO plans to coordinate Ukraine with coordination and provide Ukraine with most of the international security assistance.
- At the summit, commitments to strengthen transatlantic defence-industrial cooperation and protection against ballistic missiles will be approved.
- The third important topic of the summit will be global partnership, within the framework of which leaders from the countries of the Indo-Pacific region have been invited.
- The convergence of authoritarian actors emphasizes the importance of close cooperation between NATO and other countries to ensure international security.
Our most urgent NATO task at the summit will be to support Ukraine
I expect that the heads of state and government will agree on a significant package for Ukraine, — Mr. Stoltenberg said. "NATO will take over the coordination and provision of much of the international security assistance," with a command led by a three-star general and several hundred personnel based at NATO headquarters in Germany and logistical hubs in the eastern part of the Alliance.
He added that the Allies would agree to a financial pledge for Ukraine and that he also expected more immediate military support for Ukraine, more bilateral security agreements, and work towards enhanced military interoperability.
The Secretary-General noted that all these elements "make up a bridge to NATO membership and a powerful package for Ukraine at the summit," adding: "Ukraine is moving closer to NATO."
Deterrence and defense will be another important topic for our summit, Mr. Stoltenberg said, noting that NATO has fundamentally transformed over the past decade, including 500,000 troops on high alert, enhanced capabilities, combat-ready battlegroups and the addition of new members.
What is planned at the next Peace Summit
At the summit, Allies must agree to a commitment to strengthen transatlantic defense-industrial cooperation to increase production. He added that NATO would boost defence against ballistic missiles with the help of the new Aegis Ashore base in Poland. He welcomed that 23 members of the Alliance now spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence.
The third topic of the Summit will be global partnership. The Secretary-General invited the leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea to the summit to further deepen cooperation, particularly regarding support for Ukraine, cyber, and new technologies.
The closer authoritarian actors come together, the more important it is that we work closely with our friends in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
