NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday (July 7th) that NATO is expected to achieve five plans to support Ukraine in countering Russian aggression. Among these plans is the establishment of a new headquarters, unified coordination of international support, and a commitment from countries to provide Ukraine with at least another year of military support.
This week, NATO will hold its crucial annual summit in the capital of the United States. Stoltenberg revealed in a pre-summit roundtable meeting that NATO will establish a 700-person headquarters in Germany led by a three-star general.
This headquarters will coordinate most of the international support for Ukraine and oversee the training and logistics support for Ukrainian forces. Stoltenberg stated that the level of NATO allies’ support for Ukraine will be maintained for at least another year, with countries determining the minimum baseline for future financial support.
While these agreements do not include Ukraine’s accession to NATO, a longstanding request from Kyiv, Stoltenberg mentioned that these two plans will bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership. Stoltenberg stated, “These comprehensive actions, in fact, bring [Ukraine] closer to NATO, preparing Ukraine for NATO membership.”
“I firmly believe that while language is important, equally important, if not more important, are our actions,” he added. NATO is expected to reach agreements at the summit to announce the provision of more weapons, including advanced systems, and to deepen the interoperability between the Ukrainian military and NATO forces.
Before the summit commences, approximately 20 member countries will sign bilateral security agreements with Ukraine. Last month, President Biden and President Zelensky signed an agreement committing to support Kyiv and its defense systems over the next 10 years.
Currently, along the 600-mile frontlines, Russian forces continue to escalate their attacks, while Ukraine persists in its resolute resistance. The U.S. and NATO have long believed that Ukraine will eventually become a NATO member but have not confirmed a specific timeline for accession to the alliance. Technically, approving Ukraine’s NATO membership during wartime would trigger Article 5, which stipulates that an attack against any member state constitutes an attack against all, invoking the collective defense obligation for countries to defend the attacked ally.
Stoltenberg believes that the allies have reached a consensus on “ambitious” actions to support Ukraine, enhancing the alliance’s solidarity. He stated, “These are commitments made and agreed by NATO to achieve more responsible and capable goals.”
Stoltenberg also mentioned that the summit will address the issue of defense spending across the entire alliance, a challenging matter as some countries struggle to meet the 2% of GDP target for defense expenditure.
He anticipates that the summit will send a message that countries should allocate higher amounts of funding for defense spending beyond the 2% mark of GDP.
(This article references relevant reports from The Hill.)