Opening remarks

Good morning.

Welcome to all of you. I think we are ready to start.
Welcome to this meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers.

Russia has shattered peace on the European continent. It has engaged in a war of a scale, of a type not seen in Europe since the Second World War.
Russian aggression has created a new normal for European security, where fundamental principles are contested through the use of force.

The threat of pervasive conflict is real.

We stand by the people of Ukraine and its democratically elected government.

And we call on President Putin to stop the war, pull all his forces out of Ukraine, and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts.

NATO is a defensive Alliance.
We do not seek conflict with Russia.

But let there be no doubt.
Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad.

NATO will protect and defend every inch of NATO territory.
And this ends the public part of the meeting.

I thank the media for joining us at the opening of the meeting. We will continue in just a moment. Thank you.