Secretary General to Ukraine Defense Contact Group: support for Ukraine matters for Ukraine’s security and for NATO
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participates in a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group
Participating in a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Tuesday (23 January 2024), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Allies’ commitments to continue supporting Ukraine now and for the long term.
The Secretary General stressed that Russia’s massive strikes highlight the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences. Through the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Allies have already delivered a wide range of air defence systems to Ukraine, including Patriots, IRIS-T and NASAMS. In addition, under NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP), the Alliance is supplying more winter equipment, demining equipment, and fuel to help Ukraine weather the difficult winter, said Mr Stoltenberg.
The Secretary General outlined NATO’s support to ramp up ammunition production, including the recent purchase of up to 1,000 Patriot interceptor missiles through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). Also today, Mr Stoltenberg announced that NATO has concluded contracts for the purchase of around 220,000 155-millimetre artillery shells worth 1.2 billion US dollars via the NSPA. This will replenish Allies’ stocks, as they continue to bolster Ukraine’s air defences. Mr Stoltenberg stressed that NATO is committed to providing long-term support to Ukraine. Allies agreed in Vilnius to expand NATO’s CAP to a multi-year support programme to cover critical short-term needs and build long-term interoperability to help protect Ukraine’s people, critical infrastructure and military forces.
Looking ahead, the Secretary General urged Allies and partners to continue providing Ukraine with the assistance it needs to prevail. He reiterated that NATO will continue to stand by Ukraine because it matters both for Ukraine’s security and for the Alliance.
