Stoltenberg condemns missile attacks by Russia
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has condemned Russia's recent rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities, assuring that at the upcoming alliance summit, the allies will make decisions to further strengthen support for Ukraine.
“In Ukraine, Russia continues its brutal war. Only today we have seen horrendous missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, killing innocent civilians including children. I condemn these heinous attacks,” he said in Washington on Monday, arriving at the Pentagon for a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. As is known, the NATO summit will be held in Washington on July 9-11.
Stoltenberg assured that at the summit, the allies will make decisions to further strengthen their support for Ukraine.
“And Russia must understand that they're not able to wait us out. They’ll need to sit down and accept a solution where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation,” the Secretary General noted.
He also said that the leaders of the Asia-Pacific partners - Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea - will attend the summit.
“That demonstrates that our security is not regional, our security is global. And that's clearly demonstrated in the war in Ukraine where Iran, North Korea, China are supporting and enabling Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” Stoltenberg explained.
Recalling that this week the allies will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Alliance, they will also make decisions for the future in the field of deterrence and defense, demonstrating that “they have the forces, the readiness, the capabilities we need to continue to deter any aggressor and also ensure that Allies continue to carry their fair share of the burden and we have good numbers.”
“Twenty-three Allies are now spending at least 2% of GDP on defence, up from only three Allies when we made the pledge back in 2014. And I'm optimistic when it comes to that, Allies will continue to increase defence spending because 2% is the minimum. There is a need to continue to increase defence spending across the Alliance,” Stoltenberg is convinced.
