Secretary General welcomes Luxembourg’s NATO contributions, support to Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden, in Brussels on Thursday (7 December 2023). Mr Stoltenberg congratulated Prime Minister Frieden on his recent appointment and thanked him for Luxembourg’s contributions to NATO, including its participation in NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Romania.

The Secretary General welcomed Luxembourg’s commitment to increased defence spending and thanked the Prime Minister for his “commitment to have a concrete plan to reach 2% by the Washington Summit,” adding “this is key for a fair burden-sharing on both sides of the Atlantic”. Mr Stoltenberg also welcomed Luxembourg’s participation in NATO’s Innovation Fund and investments in NATO’s high-end capabilities, including the next generation of NATO’s AWACS early warning and surveillance aircraft. “This is one of NATO’s biggest-ever joint capability purchases,” he said and added that Luxembourg is at the forefront of NATO’s technological and innovation agenda.

Luxembourg is one of 20 Allies participating in a coalition aimed to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences. “This will help protect Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield. And protect people’s lives in Ukrainian cities,” said the Secretary General. Luxembourg also supports Ukraine through NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package.

In November, the NATO-Ukraine Council met at the level of Foreign Ministers in Brussels, where Allies agreed an ambitious work programme that will bring Ukraine closer to NATO. “Stepping up and sustaining our support is critical to help Ukraine weather the difficult winter ahead, and to ensure Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation. This is the right thing to do. It is also in our own security interest,” Mr Stoltenberg concluded.