Joint press conference
by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre
(As delivered)
[Speaks in Norwegian]
Prime Minister Støre,
...
Thank you for having me, and many thanks for your personal commitment to our transatlantic Alliance and your leadership in providing support to Ukraine and to strengthen NATO’s collective defence.
Norway is a key NATO Ally and makes valuable contributions to our shared security.
Norwegian forces are in our multinational battlegroup in Lithuania.
You contribute to our air-policing missions.
And Norway plays a key role in the High North.
I welcome, as you mentioned, that Norway is accelerating its defence spending. Norway will reach, and actually exceed, the 2% NATO guideline on defence spending, and according to the long-term plan for defence, Norway will further increase significantly defence spending over the coming years. These are important and great achievements which are highly valued by NATO Allies.
In our meeting today, we addressed Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
Ukraine has the right to defend itself.
And according to International Law, this right does not end at the border.
At the NATO-Ukraine Council last week Allies strongly condemned Russia’s indiscriminate strikes. And reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen Ukraine’s defences.
I welcome Norway’s long-term commitment to Ukraine through the Nansen program.
Norway has provided advanced air defence, F-16 fighters and other cutting-edge capabilities.
Today, NATO Allies are meeting at the Ramstein base in Germany, further discussing support to strengthen Ukraine’s defences, and Norway is, of course, part of that initiative.
All of this makes a real difference on the battlefield and saves Ukrainian lives.
But Ukraine needs more military support now.
The quickest way to end this war is to provide weapons to Ukraine.
President Putin must realise that he cannot win on the battlefield but must accept a just and lasting peace where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation.
I call on all Allies to continue their vital support, especially in this difficult phase of the war.
The war demonstrates that our security is multinational, it is global.
Iran and North Korea are providing drones, ammunition and more.
And China has become a decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Through its no-limits partnership and support for Russia's defence industrial base.
This includes the transfer of dual-use materials such as weapons, components, equipment and raw materials.
I call on China to stop supporting Russia’s illegal war.
China cannot continue to fuel the largest military conflict in Europe without this impacting Beijing's interests and reputation.
At our Washington NATO Summit, Allies took decisions to ensure Ukraine’s support for the long haul.
NATO is taking over the coordination and provision of international security assistance.
We are opening a command in Wiesbaden, and setting up hubs in the eastern part of the Alliance to provide support to Ukraine.
This will enhance Ukraine’s self-defence.
NATO Allies pledged a minimum baseline of 40 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine within the next year. And to sustain this support for the long-term, to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself.
…
[Speaks in Norwegian]