Burssels, 16 October 2024
As NATO Defence Ministers prepare to meet at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (17-18 October 2024), Secretary General Mark Rutte previewed the expected outcomes of the meeting in a press conference at NATO Headquarters.
Allies need “to move further and faster to meet the growing threats we face”, he explained, adding that ”this requires more forces, capabilities and investment to meet the ambitious targets set by our defence plans.” Mr Rutte listed expanded defence industrial capacity, more robust supply chains and new technologies as critical to ensuring the Alliance remains resilient across all domains. He said he expected Ministers to greenlight a new NATO initiative to improve standardisation, explaining that “better implementation of standards can help reduce the cost of defence procurement, so this is essential work for NATO.”
The Secretary General reaffirmed that NATO stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine, both now and into the future. NATO Defence Ministers will meet with their Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov in the NATO-Ukraine Council on Thursday evening to discuss the battlefield situation and Ukraine’s most urgent needs. Mr Rutte indicated that work is well on track both to set up the new NATO command in Wiesbaden to coordinate security assistance and training for Ukraine, and to deliver on the pledge of 40 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine. He announced that “NATO Allies provided 20.9 billion euros in military assistance to Ukraine during the first half of 2024 and Allies are on track to meet their commitments for the rest of the year”, adding that “the message is clear: NATO is delivering for Ukraine, and we will continue to do so.”
The Defence Ministers’ meeting will also be an opportunity to exchange views on the current global security situation with NATO’s close partners in the Indo-Pacific and with the European Union. For the first time, Defence Ministers from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea are joining a NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting. “In this more interconnected world, it is vital that we tackle our shared security challenges together” the Secretary General concluded.
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Source – NATO
Pre-ministerial press conference by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte ahead of the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels on 17 and 18 October
Brussels, 16 October 2024
(As delivered)
Yes, good afternoon, good to see you.
Over the next two days, NATO Defence Ministers will meet for the first time since the Washington Summit.
And we will take forward the implementation of key decisions we made in Washington on:
- bolstering our deterrence and defence,
- supporting Ukraine, and
- deepening our global partnerships.
I look forward to chairing my first ministerial meeting as NATO Secretary General. And it will be the first time that our Indo-Pacific partners – Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea – join us in this format.
As in the past, we have also invited the EU – a testament to our unique partnership. And I am looking forward to welcoming Minister Umerov at a session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, where he will brief us on battlefield developments and Ukraine’s urgent needs.
Since taking office, I have made clear that strengthening our Alliance –deterrence and defence is my top priority. We need to move further and faster to meet the growing threats we face.
This requires more forces, capabilities and investment to meet the ambitious targets set by our defence plans, expanded defence industrial capacity, more robust supply chains, and leveraging new technologies to ensure that we remain resilient across all domains.
We have already made progress across all these lines of effort, but more really needs to be done.
On defence industrial capacity, for example, we have made significant advances over the past two years on the production of munitions, And the manufacturing of new ships, combat vehicles and jets. But we are still not producing enough. And the costs remain too high. So, we must scale up together to produce more and at lower cost, and we must do so quickly.
Defence investments are critical to defending our one billion citizens. They provide the equipment we need to deter and defend. They strengthen our technological edge. And they increase the interoperability of our forces.
In other words, there cannot be strong defence without strong defence industry. Achieving this requires increased defence spending, firm orders, and they have to be long term.
I am engaging with Allies and have spoken to a number of big defence industry players on how best to deliver on this key priority.
I also expect that Ministers will greenlight a new NATO initiative to improve standardisation. Standards underpin our ability to fight together. And better implementation of standards can help reduce costs of defence procurement. So, this is essential work for NATO.
Just two weeks ago I made my first official trip as Secretary General. The destination was Kyiv. There, I reaffirmed that NATO stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine, now and into the future.
We are working – and with urgency – to deliver:
- a new NATO command to coordinate security assistance and training for Ukraine;
- more support to build Ukraine’s future forces;
- a financial pledge of at least 40 billion euros of military aid within a year; and
- initiatives to support Ukraine on its irreversible path to NATO membership.
Earlier this week I visited the new command that is being set up in Wiesbaden, Germany, Where I met with staff who will be coordinating international security assistance to Ukraine.
Work has started, and we expect the command to become fully operational in the coming months. This will enable Allies to provide more coordinated and consistent support for Ukraine, for the long term. On the financial pledge, I am delighted to report that we are firmly on track to delivering the 40 billion pledged for the coming year, as agreed in Washington.
I can announce today that NATO Allies committed 20.9 billion euros in military assistance to Ukraine during the first half of 2024. And Allies are on track to meet their commitments for the rest of the year. So, the message is clear: NATO is delivering for Ukraine, and we will continue to do so.
Defence Ministers will also review the status of NATO’s current operations and missions in Kosovo and Iraq.
The situation in the Western Balkans remains concerning. With secessionist threats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a fragile security situation in Kosovo, and little progress made in the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.
Russia is also seeking to undermine democracies in the region with cyber and hybrid threats, including disinformation, using internal vulnerabilities to sow divisions. For over two decades, KFOR has maintained a safe and secure environment for all people in Kosovo and freedom of movement. NATO’s commitment to KFOR remains strong today.
And in the Middle East, at the request of Iraqi authorities, we have broadened the scope of our support for Iraq’s Security Institutions, and we continue our engagement through NATO Mission Iraq to promote security and stability.
Finally, I am looking forward to exchanging views on the current global security situation with our Indo-Pacific partners and the EU.
The growing alignment of authoritarian actors like China, Russia, North Korea and Iran is undermining stability in the Euro-Atlantic and in the Indo-Pacific regions.
In this more interconnected world, it is vital that we tackle our shared security challenges together.
The expanded presence at the NATO table tomorrow demonstrates our commitment to working with our like-minded partners to defend our values and interests.
We are particularly looking to increase cooperation in the areas of innovation, supply chains and defence industrial production.
And with that, I am ready to take your questions.
Source – NATO