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Let me begin by thanking the Security and Defence Agenda, the Atlantic Council and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung for organizing this conference. In light of ongoing events in Ukraine, boosting NATO-EU cooperation has gained new urgency. And I am happy to have a chance to discuss with you this important issue.
In the 1990s, NATO and the EU tried to create a Euro-Atlantic security system to erase Cold War dividing lines, a system that included Russia. Together, we created new institutions and arrangements for cooperation, including the NATO-Russia Council, the Russia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, and a revitalized OSCE. Russia became a member of the G-8.
We did all this because we believed in working together with Russia to achieve a Europe free, whole and at peace. And Russia said that it saw NATO and the EU as partners. Acting together, we accomplished a lot to end conflicts, manage crises, and establish a broad agenda of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Today, Russia has challenged this vision of Europe. It has tried to change borders by force, to undermine the sovereignty its neighbors, and to recreate a sphere of influence. Russia has resorted to a new type of “hybrid warfare” that combines military intimidation, covert supply of weapons and fighters, economic blackmail, diplomatic duplicity, media manipulation, and outright disinformation. It may be withdrawing its regular troops from the Ukrainian border, but its aggressive behavior has not diminished and it continues to destabilise Ukraine in different ways.
Our greatest strength in this crisis is our unity. NATO and EU nations remain committed to our positive vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace, and to the principle that all sovereign states have freedom of choice when it comes to their governments, their leaders and their security relationships.
The recent Presidential election in Ukraine was a landmark event. Despite criminal violence, intimidation and provocation by Russian-backed gangs in the Eastern part of the country, the turnout was high and enthusiastic, and the outcome was clear. The election was largely in line with Ukraine’s international commitments and respectful of fundamental freedoms.
We look forward to working closely with President Poroshenko, and we will continue to support efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis that upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.
In response to this crisis, all our institutions need to work more closely together to reassure our own members, stand up for our values, and promote a political and diplomatic solution.
For its part, NATO is already bolstering our collective defense. Since the crisis began, we have taken a number of concrete steps to strengthen our Allies from the Baltic to the Black Sea, such as by reinforcing NATO’s Baltic air policing mission, deploying AWACS surveillance planes over Poland and Romania, more exercises, and an enhanced maritime presence by Allies. Every single Ally is contributing to this effort, whether with aircraft or ships, troops on the ground, or commanders and planners for our forces.
We are also developing ways to deal with the longer-term implications of the crisis. This will include enhancing the readiness of our forces, filling key capability gaps, and stepping up our training and exercises. This week in Brussels, NATO Defense Ministers agreed to develop and finalize a Readiness Action Plan in time for our Summit in Wales in September. I expect the plan will include improving the reaction time of the NATO Response Force, enhancing our intelligence and awareness capabilities, pre-positioning equipment and supplies, and focusing our planning and exercises on real-world defense challenges.
The Ukraine crisis also demonstrates the need for stronger European capabilities and closer consultation and cooperation between NATO and the EU. We have made some progress in this regard. Last December’s European Council Conclusions opened the door to closer NATO-EU cooperation in areas such as capability development, maritime security and cyber defense. And on March 5th, the North Atlantic Council and the EU’s Political and Security Committee met to take a unified stance towards Russia’s aggression in Crimea. I hope we will see greater consultation and cooperation in these areas, and others, before our Wales Summit.
One particular priority will be capacity-building in Ukraine and other eastern partners. This covers defense and security sector reform, where NATO has a lot to offer. We can build on the long-standing partnership in this area between NATO and Ukraine, and excellent military to military relations.
But capacity building also includes fighting corruption and strengthening the rule of law, where the EU has unique expertise. If we are to achieve real unity of purpose and effort, NATO and the EU need to develop a coherent approach to assisting our eastern partners. This should be underpinned by more regular political consultations and enhanced coordination between our two organizations.
NATO has long been a strong advocate of a comprehensive political, civilian and military approach to crisis management. This puts a premium on coordinated and coherent cooperation between international organizations, and in particular between NATO and the EU. We have already seen the benefits of such an approach in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, and in the fight against piracy.
Today, in light of the new challenge posed by hybrid warfare, we should consider whether we should adopt such a comprehensive approach not only to deal with crises, but to ensure the longer-term effectiveness of our common security and defense. Because I am convinced that it is only by working more closely together that we can uphold our shared vision of a Europe whole and free and at peace.