Foreign Ministers concluded two days of talks in Brussels on Thursday (4 April 2024) with a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, and another meeting with Indo-Pacific partners and the European Union. Thursday marked 75 years since NATO’s founding. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the landmark, saying: “since 1949, we have been the strongest and most successful Alliance in history.”
Speaking at the end of the ministerial, Mr Stoltenberg welcomed that Allies continue to step up with new support to Ukraine. “In recent days, this includes nearly 600 million euros from Germany for the Czech-led artillery initiative; as well as 10,000 drones from the United Kingdom; more missiles and armoured vehicles from France; and just yesterday, a new package of aid from Finland worth 188 million euros,” he said.
He added: “we need to do even more, and we need to put our support on an even firmer and more enduring basis.” Allies have now agreed to move forward with planning for a greater NATO role in coordinating necessary security assistance and training for Ukraine.
Foreign Ministers also discussed the global implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine, including support for Moscow from China, North Korea and Iran. Allies were joined by Indo-Pacific partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea, as well as the European Union. Together, ministers discussed how to enhance cooperation in responding to cyber and hybrid threats, as well as new technologies and defence industrial production. “As authoritarian powers increasingly align, NATO and its partners must stand united to defend a global order governed by law, not by force,” said the Secretary General.
On Wednesday, NATO Foreign Ministers met to address NATO’s support to Ukraine, as well as security challenges in the Alliance’s southern neighbourhood.