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Stoltenberg: Ukraine aid “most urgent” at upcoming NATO summit

However, Kyiv’s goal is to secure a formal invitation to join the alliance.

byYevheniia Martyniuk

05/07/2024

2 minute read

Jens Stoltenberg and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels, June 2024. Photo: Stoltenberg via X/Twitter

Stoltenberg: Ukraine aid “most urgent” at upcoming NATO summit

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that support for Ukraine will be the “most urgent task” at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, 9-11 July.

The ongoing war in Ukraine is set to be a focal point at the summit. As Kyiv intensifies its efforts to secure a formal invitation to join the alliance, NATO members are deliberating over key phrases such as “bridge to NATO” or “irreversible path” to describe Ukraine’s potential accession process.

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1809273030775824538

“Our most urgent task at the summit will be support to Ukraine. Ukraine must prevail, and they need our sustained support. So at the summit next week, I expect heads of state and government will agree on a substantial package for Ukraine,” he said.

This package includes a major shift in NATO’s role. The alliance will now coordinate the majority of international security assistance to Ukraine, a task previously managed under the US-led Ramstein format. This effort will be spearheaded by a three-star general and supported by a team of 700 personnel operating from NATO headquarters in Germany and logistics hubs in Eastern Europe.

Financial commitments are also expected to be substantial, with allies anticipated to pledge €40 billion annually in military aid to Ukraine. This maintains the level of support seen in previous years. Reuters recently reported that NATO allies have agreed to fund €40 billion ($43.05 billion) in military aid to Ukraine in 2025.

Additionally, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a new NATO-Ukraine security agreement is in preparation. This document, according to Zelensky, “will guarantee our security until Ukraine joins NATO – a decision that is irreversible.”

Stoltenberg was careful to note that while this enhanced support “will not make NATO a party to the conflict,” it will significantly bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

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