Doorstep statement

Good morning. 

Today we will convene NATO Foreign Ministers here in Prague in this beautiful historic city.

We will discuss the preparations for the upcoming Washington Summit in July and there are three main topics.

First, Ukraine. Allies have provided unprecedented support to Ukraine. Just last week Belgium announced 30 more F-16s and Spain and Sweden announced new packages of more than one billion euros each for air defence,  for artillery and for other important equipment for Ukraine. These and other announcements come on top of the US decision of 61 billion extra US dollars for Ukraine. 

But we will address how to make sure we sustain and step up our support for Ukraine and I have proposed that NATO should play a bigger role in the coordination and supply of security assistance and training for Ukraine.

I also proposed a multiyear financial pledge to ensure more accountability and predictability in the support we provide to Ukraine because we need to make sure that Moscow understands that we are prepared for the long haul in our support for Ukraine.

We will also address our deterrence and defence. We have new defence plans. Allies are allocating more forces, high readiness to NATO and this is also reflected in the fact that more and more Allies are investing more in defence, meeting the 2% guideline. The Czech Republic for instance will be at 2% GDP for defence this year. 

Thirdly, we will address how to further strengthen our global partnerships, in particular with our Asia-Pacific partners Australia and New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. They will be at the Summit in July and it is important to strengthen the partnership with them to address more global competition.

Ansgar Haase, DPA

Secretary General, what's your comment on the latest news from the United States? Is it enough what the United States will allow Ukraine to defend Kharkiv? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General

Well, I welcome that NATO Allies are providing support to Ukraine in many different ways. But I will not go into details about exactly what type of support, and how Ukraine is using the different types of support they are getting. What I've stated many times is that we need to remember that this is a war of aggression. Russia has attacked another country, violated international law, invaded Ukraine. And Ukraine has the right for self-defence. And that includes also the right to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia. And let me add to that. This is even more urgent as we see that Russia has opened a new front. They have attacked now again from the north into the Kharkiv region. And the border, the frontlines is more or less the same. So they're hitting Ukraine with missiles, with artillery based inside Russia. And of course, Ukraine must be able to hit back and to defend themselves. This is part of the right for self-defence.

Sabine Siebold, Reuters

Could you tell us your expectation - how will it change the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine now that several Allies have lifted restrictions on the use of their donated weapons inside Russian territory? And the second one, if I may: how concerned are you over Ukrainian attacks on Russian nuclear radar stations? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General

Several Allies have never imposed any restrictions on the supply they have delivered to Ukraine. And again, this is a matter of upholding international law,  Ukraine's right to self-defence. Russia has attacked, Ukraine has tried to defend themselves, and that includes also attacking legitimate targets inside Russia. If you look at the battlefield now, Russia is launching attacks on Ukrainian soil, from Russian soil. With artillery, with missiles, they are amassing troops. And of course, it makes it very hard for Ukraine to defend themselves if they're not allowed to use advanced weapons to repel those attacks. So many Allies have made it clear that they, of course, accept that Ukraine is using the weapons they have received to defend themselves, including by striking military targets inside Russia. Especially when those military facilities are used in attacking, directing attacks from Russian soil. Then, we all expect that this is done according to international law, and in a responsible way.

I will not go into the details except for saying that of course, we all assume that this will be done in a responsible way.

Max Delany, AFP

Thank you, Secretary General, following up on the similar issue. Putin has warned about serious consequences if the West lets Ukraine strike with its weapons inside Russia. Do you fear now an escalation from Russia, and do you think Russia could strike back against NATO territory itself? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General

Well, this is nothing new. Allies have for many years, or since this war started back in 2022,  accepted that their weapons are used also for strikes against legitimate targets inside [Russia]. For instance, United Kingdom has provided Storm Shadow cruise missiles for a long time without any restrictions. So this has been the case for a long time. It has always been the case for a long time that every time NATO Allies are providing support to Ukraine, President Putin is trying to threaten us not to do that. The day of the invasion, he gave a speech where he threatened all countries that were going to provide any support to Ukraine, that that was dangerous and that will have consequences. And that has been the message every time we have made decisions to deliver long range artillery, HIMARS, advanced battle tanks, cruise missiles or F 16 fighter jets. So this is part of the efforts by president Putin, by Moscow to prevent NATO allies from supporting Ukraine to defend themselves. And again, Ukraine has the right for self-defence. We have the right to help Ukraine uphold their right for self-defence. And that does not make NATO Allies party to the conflict. That was the case back in February 2022. That was the case last year, and that remains the case. And escalation - well, it's Russia that has escalated by invading another country, and Russia has escalated just last week by opening a new front, where they are hitting Ukraine from inside Russia. Of course, to assume that Ukraine should not hit back is in no way reasonable, because Ukraine must be able to defend their territory - also, of course by hitting the artillery, the missiles which are launched against them from inside Ukraine, inside Russia, sorry.

Katerina Gruntova, Czech Radio

At the Washington Summit, are you going to discuss or take any new measures regarding Russia, which is increasingly hostile to NATO countries?

NATO Secretary General

NATO Allies are providing a wide range of different types of support to Ukraine, economic, humanitarian, financial but also military support and NATO Allies are also imposing sanctions on Russia to make sure they have to pay a cost for this absolutely unacceptable violation of international law, invading another country.

I expect that the new decisions at the Summit when it comes to helping Ukraine to defend against the Russian invasion will be on a bigger NATO role in coordinating the supply of weapons, of ammunition, of training to Ukraine and I also proposed a financial pledge to ensure more long term predictability to help to prevent what we have seen over the last months. We have seen some gaps and delays and this has made it more difficult for Ukrainians to defend themselves because there have been serious delays in the provision of ammunition from NATO Allies. This is now being addressed but I think to ensure more predictability, more robust support we should have a bigger NATO role in the provision of support and multi-year financial pledge and I expect Allies to meet that by the Summit.

Pavlina Fabianova, CNN

How do you see Russian movements in Baltic Sea and Russian demands to negotiate the lines in the Baltic Sea?

NATO Secretary General

Any changes of borders, unilateral changes of borders, is a violation of international law and Russia has signed the convention on the law of the Seas and of course we expect Russia to fully comply with international law including when it comes to maritime borders. So any unilateral change or attempt to change borders is unacceptable and should not happen.