Deputy Secretary General: NATO ideally equipped to project stability beyond our borders

The Deputy Secretary General highlighted the challenge posed by a more assertive Russia in the east. He stressed that NATO is responding by strengthening its deterrence and defence posture, while striving for meaningful dialogue with Moscow. “NATO will continue to engage with Russia. We need to make sure that where our forces come into close contact, misunderstanding does not lead to an incident that could spiral out of control,” he said. Ambassador Vershbow added that leaders are expected to agree on an enhanced forward presence in the east of the Alliance at the Warsaw Summit in July. “This presence will be defensive, proportionate and in line with our international commitments,” he said.

Referring to NATO’s response to threats from the south, the Deputy Secretary General stressed that NATO is stepping up efforts to “project stability” across the Middle East and North Africa by working with partners to build their ability to defend themselves. Drawing from operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo, NATO is already working with Iraq and Jordan to strengthen their security institutions and armed forces. Ambassador Vershbow underlined that these efforts must be enhanced: “We need to expand our capacity building programs if we want to have a truly strategic impact on the ground.” He added that this will be a key theme of the Warsaw Summit. 

Ambassador Vershbow also addressed NATO’s cooperation with the European Union. He underlined that by working together, NATO and the EU make each other stronger and more effective. Today, both organisations are working closely, supporting partners and fighting illegal trafficking in the Aegean Sea.