NATO Secretary General, Press Conference at Defence Ministers Meeting, 15 FEB 2024

Press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in Brussels, 15 February 2024.
🗣 | NATO Secretary General:
Good afternoon,
NATO defence ministers met today to prepare for the Washington Summit in July.
Last year in Vilnius, we took major decisions to strengthen our deterrence and defence.
Today, we accelerated work on resourcing our new defence plans, and strengthening our transatlantic defence industrial base.
This requires investment.
And we are on the right track.
I expect 18 Allies to spend 2% of their GDP on defence this year.
A six-fold increase from only 3 Allies in 2014.
In 2024, NATO Allies in Europe will invest a total of 380 billion US dollars in defence.
For the first time, this amounts to 2% of their total GDP.
By the end of 2024, European Allies and Canada will have added more than 600 billion dollars for defence since we made the Defence Investment Pledge in 2014.
We still have a way to go.
But we have already made historic progress.
We also discussed ramping up production of ammunition.
To refill our stocks and continue to support Ukraine, we need to shift from the slow pace of peacetime, to the high-tempo production demanded by conflict.
To do that, manufacturers need signed contracts.
And just in the past few months, NATO has agreed contracts worth ten billion dollars.
This helps Ukraine.
Makes NATO stronger,
And provides more highly-skilled jobs in Europe and North America.
We also discussed the deteriorating security environment.
We can never take peace for granted.
But we do not see any imminent military threat against the Alliance.
NATO continues to ensure there’s no room for miscalculation in Moscow about our readiness to protect all Allies.
Right now, we are conducting Steadfast Defender:
the largest NATO exercise in decades.
With approximately 90,000 forces from all 31 Allies and Sweden.
Testing our ability to swiftly move forces across the Alliance to defend our eastern flank.
Today, we also met with Ukraine in the NATO-Ukraine Council.
Defence Minister Umerov briefed Allies on the latest developments on the ground.
And we addressed the importance of our continued support.
Just in the past few days, we have seen new packages of aid announced by Allies including Canada, Finland, and Norway.
Covering key capabilities like F-16 equipment and spare parts, as well as air defence.
A group of Allies is coming together with the goal of delivering one million drones to Ukraine.
20 NATO Allies have also agreed to form a demining coalition.
All of this will help to save Ukrainian lives.
Together, NATO Allies account for 99% of all military aid to Ukraine.
And our continued commitment is essential to preserving Ukraine’s freedom.
Since Russia’s invasion, the United States has provided Ukraine with around 75 billion dollars in military, financial, and humanitarian aid.
Other NATO Allies and partners have provided over 100 billion US dollars.
So our support is an example of true transatlantic burden sharing.
And it is making a real difference every day.
Today, we decided to create a new NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
It will allow Ukraine to share lessons learned from Russia’s war.
And it will create a structure for Ukrainian forces to learn and train alongside their Allied counterparts.
We will continue to stand with Ukraine.
For Ukraine’s security, and for ours.
And with that, I am ready to take a few questions.
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#NATO #OTAN #DefMin

[@MTMF.london]

Jens is undoubtedly the hardest working man in the world. The amount of travel he's done on behalf of NATO must amount to several dozen times around the world.

[@peter-eriksmids9152]

Fantastic work from Secretary General Stoltenberg.

[@plantushotmail]

Europe should think about a defense strategy without the USA

[@MTMF.london]

I think they do have Plan B, just in case.

[@kgrandchamp]

Thank you Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for your very clear answers to all the questions and for your tireless efforts to explain NATO's views and actions! Thanks again!🌿

[@chiseldrock]

Sir I would like you to know how much I appreciate your continued term as Secretary General of NATO. RESPECT!!

[@sarahcastro5659]

Your the best Mr Stoltenberg

[@karinborup1162]

Clear speaking from Stoltenberg. Ukraine would had lost long time ago, in spite for their enormous courage, if not for NATO. And for now, mostly for the european part of NATO. Hope U.S.A. come to their senses soon. 🇩🇰👍🏻🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 Slava Ukraine.

[@kathleenmann7311]

Mr. Jen Stoltenberg is the right man for the job. 👍. ✌️🇺🇦🔱🚩

[@anthonyhulse1248]

Good questions from the Romanian journalist. Turkey and Hungary need to be questioned about their commitment to NATO.

[@MTMF.london]

I think NATO should put into place a policy forbiding all members from giving its common enemy any kind of support, including moral support. Turkey and Hungary have been doing all sorts of sneaky things with Putin behind NATO's back and actively obstructing long-standing partners from joing NATO. Ironically, these two nations are the least democratic of all NATO's partners. Had they not been members already, I doubt they would be eligible to join now with their track record of oppression on press freedom and dissent. Both Erdogan and Orban are running semi-autocractic countries.

[@Ms2blackcats]

I love to listen to him. He makes a lot of sense.

[@HMD2020]

👋👋👋

[@alexanderfriis1]

Love this guy go Stoltenberg!!

[@user-kz8dy9hu5f]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤💯👍🙌

[@agritech802]

Good speech and a positive message, thank you NATO ❤❤

[@norwaybaba3381]

He snuck in a norwegian word at the end! LOL

[@patrickbergin8128]

🇪🇺💚

[@alanmcmillan6969]

This is called, Free speech.

[@lonnyorchard6632]

I have a question. Why can't the European Countries buy directly from US Defense Arms Manufacturer's and then forward this military aid to Ukraine? We are all allies and partner's within NATO, what's the problem with this simple solution?

[@chuckkottke]

Jens, you are doing a great job, and I sincerely hope our US House gets it together soon. I truly appreciate all the aid NATO allies have given, but I know we're very important in terms of military aid, and the internal politics are gumming up the works right now. I've written my Congressmen and will continue to contact them until the aid is passed. ✳️🗽✳️

[@Ivan-ye8ud]

Thank you ❤ 🇺🇦🇺🇸🇪🇺🇺🇦🇪🇺🇺🇸

[@appleios4908]

💪🇺🇸🇪🇺🇮🇩

[@zbigniewbaranowski9333]

Powodzenia.....

[@marlenemounce2918]

US supports NATO. Percentage of GDP makes up contributions. Everyone works together. ❤

[@timothymckenney5023]

Also when will the final vote for Sweden to join NATO Thank you very much

[@westcoast_canuck1926]

Fully support NATO and 🇨🇦 increased defense spending and support of Ukraine

[@stevecharbonneau4134]

Congratulations we NATO need to increase more and more power to beat the enemy

[@nickmooney7175]

Go EU ❤

What about the idea to declare a neutral zone in the Black Sea and in Ukraine to seriously signal Russia and Putin that when attacking these neutral zones they risk declaring war. If the west plays the cards right this would signal that the west has strength and it's seriousness.

[@juhamikkonen]

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, thank you for your leadership in these times.

[@timothymckenney5023]

I know you say that Ukraine cannot join NATO while in War with Russia but Russia started all this war on the innocent Ukraine they did not ask for any of this so I think they should be a nato ally because the nato is already helping them with packages but not with military personnel