MEPs of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), jointly with the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), debate the ongoing and future challenges of the EU Common security and defence policy in the context of the war in Ukraine and the Alliance's enlargement with Jens STOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO. Extracts from the exchange of views.

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

exchange of views

statement

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

common security and defence policy (T)

McALLISTER, David (EPP, DE)

EU - NATO (T)

STOLTENBERG, Jens (NO)

LOISEAU, Nathalie (Renew, FR)

foreign affairs and security policy (T)

Exchange of views with Jens STOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO: extracts from the joint meeting AFET/SEDE

Title:  Exchange of views with Jens STOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO: extracts (EbS) 

Arrival of Jens SOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO, welcomed by David MCALLISTER, Chair of AFET Committee (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), David MCALLISTER, Chair of AFET Committee, So dear Secretary General, we would like to hear your views related to all questions around the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Another important step wasn't is Finland's and Sweden's access to NATO's. From an EU perspective, we warmly welcome the support move. Secretary General, how do you see the balance of powers within the alliance? And finally, a point regarding EU-NATO cooperation. I warmly welcome the signature of the third Joint Declaration on the 10th of January. I would like to hear from you your analysis regarding the implementation of the 14 points set out in this political declaration.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nathalie LOISEAU (Renew, FR), Chair of SEDE Committee, I'd like to touch on a few things with Ukraine. Any doubt when it comes to giving military aid to Ukraine will only increase the human cost of this war. We can't just promise to help Ukraine for as long as possible, although this is desirable. In which terms the Allies are ready to increase their support to make the counter-offensive be successful?

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens STOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO, Our support has helped to enable the Ukrainians to launch the counteroffensive there. The Ukrainians are gradually gaining ground and and it is a it proves the importance of our support and also our ability and willingness to continue the support because this is heavy fighting, difficult fighting. But they have been able to breach the defensive lines of the Russian forces and they are moving forward.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens STOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO, At the NATO summit, we agreed new plans for the defence of the whole alliance. We also agreed to establish and identify more high readiness troops, 300,000 troops on different levels of high readiness, and also have more air and naval capabilities ready to quickly reinforce, if needed, the purpose of this is to prevent war.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens STOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO,  SOUNDBITE (English), Jens STOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO, I know it's hard to allocate money for defence because most politicians want to spend money on health, on education, on infrastructure instead of defence. But sometimes you have to invest in defence and when tensions are going up, risks are increasing that we have to invest more. And this year we expect to our allies to increase defence spending by more than 8% new terms, this is the biggest increase in decades and it shows that allies are now and of course many and most of them are also EU members are now taking this very seriously. More money for Defence also enables us to invest more in production of ammunition.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jens STOLTENBERG, Secretary General of NATO, I expect that when the Turkish parliament reconvenes later this autumn, the ratification will happen as soon as possible, which has been stated again and again. And then we will be 32 allies and both Sweden and Finland will be members.