Joint press conference

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(As delivered)

Thank you so much. And thank you Antonio for organising this event and also for inviting the EU and NATO.
Basically, let me be very brief. Three big issues today. All these three issues will also be central to the NATO Summit in two weeks.

One, we need to ramp up our defence spending. We heard the German Chief of Defence a couple of days ago saying that by 2029, by 2030 Russia could be ready to try something against NATO territory. So we are safe now. We are not safe three to five years from now, so we have to spend more. Luckily, it is not just in 2014 where we did this, ‘we thought of a number, and then we agreed to the number.’ No, the new spending target is really rooted in facts, in deep study we have done collectively on where the gaps are in our capabilities, how we have to fill them. And the Defence Ministers agreed on that last Thursday. And now it's up to the leaders to agree on the extra spending needed to make that possible.

Spending is one thing but we also need, and that’s the second big issue, the defence industrial production. And we are not producing enough. And this is really keeping me up at night, making sure that we not only ramp up spending, but also ramp up the defence industrial production. As you know, when a country now orders a Patriot system, it will be delivered in 10 years. The question then is, ‘in the morning or the afternoon?’ Why does it matter? Because in the afternoon, the F-35 will arrive. This is now the state of play. So we have fantastic industrial companies in the US, all over Europe and Canada, but they are not producing at speeds. So we need more shifts, more production lines. We do not have to see an increase in prices. And I was really impressed by the UK Defence Review, which came out, I think it was last week Friday or early this week. Basically stating that they want to build six new ammunition factories. And this is what we need all over Europe, because we are not producing and particularly ammunition is crucial.

And then thirdly, Ukraine. Because we need to make sure that Ukraine is in the best possible position to one, [sustain] the ongoing conflict with Russia, [following] the unprovoked Russian aggression against Ukraine, but also to be in the best possible position when a long term cease-fire/a peace deal arises to make sure that Putin will never, ever try this again. And all these issues were discussed today. Really, I think this very important. And this is basically a great build-up towards the Summit in the Hague, early next week the G7, the week after the NATO Summit. And there will also be an EU summit in that week.

So this is NATO standing united, and I think that’s a crucial message. So thank you again, Antonio.