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The foreign ministers of the NATO member states are participating today and tomorrow, in Brussels, in a meeting where they will discuss the war in Ukraine and the support given to this country to defend itself against unprovoked attacks by Russia.
According to a press release issued by the US Embassy in Bucharest, the meeting will also be attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who will highlight his country's support for democracy and regional stability in the Western Balkans and discuss priorities for the NATO Summit in Washington July 2024.
Regarding today's meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday: "Foreign ministers will discuss Russia's destabilizing actions in Ukraine and beyond. Russia has brought war back to Europe and aims to destabilize our democracies, with cyber attacks, disinformation, energy blackmail and even migration. In recent weeks, Moscow has facilitated the arrival of migrants at Finland's border with Russia, prompting the closure of border crossings by authorities in Helsinki. We are practically witnessing the use of migration as a tool to put pressure on a neighbor and a NATO ally.
NATO stands in solidarity with our ally Finland and we welcome the fact that Frontex is helping to strengthen this country's borders. At the ministerial meeting we will also discuss the challenges that China presents to our security. (...) China is not an adversary, but Beijing's actions challenge our security. And we must work together to respond. We will also address the situation in the Western Balkans. We have seen serious violence in northern Kosovo, divisive and secessionist rhetoric in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and malign attempts by Russia and beyond to sow discord in that area. Together with the EU High Representative, we will discuss ways to improve stability in the region. NATO has already added an additional 1,000 troops to Kosovo and is considering an increase in our peacekeeping contingent."
The Secretary General of NATO specified that tomorrow the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of foreign ministers will take place, in which Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, will also participate. According to Stoltenberg, during the meeting, NATO's long-term support to Ukraine will be reaffirmed.
Jens Stoltenberg said: "This month, Germany and the Netherlands pledged 10 billion euros for Ukraine. Romania has opened an F-16 training center for Ukrainian pilots. Allies, including the US and Finland, are sending more air defense equipment and ammunition to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian attacks. 20 of the NATO member states formed an air defense coalition of Ukraine. Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of NATO. At our meeting, we will establish several recommendations for Ukraine's priority reforms, reforms to be implemented as we continue to support Kyiv on its path to NATO membership."
A moment of the meeting in Brussels will be dedicated to Sweden, which did not receive Hungary's acceptance to become a member of NATO, and the ratification procedure from Turkey is still in the parliament in Ankara.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General said: "Sweden's accession will make NATO stronger and we will all be safer. I welcome the fact that the Turkish parliament has started the ratification process. I count on Turkey and Hungary to complete their ratifications as soon as possible. The time has come."
The meeting of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states takes place in the context in which the representatives of the power in the Kremlin stated last week that the Alliance wants to install nuclear military capabilities in the Black Sea area and in which Admiral Ercument Tatlioğlu, the commander of the Turkish Naval Forces, recently stated that his country's military fleet can provide security in the Black Sea and that he does not want any other country to enter this area, not even NATO's naval forces.
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