Joint press conference

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Dear Volodymyr, thank you very much for the warm welcome. It is always good to see you and be here in Kyiv. And this time – indeed - I also brought with me the whole North Atlantic Council, for our historic first NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Kyiv. This, in itself, sends a strong message of the enduring bond between NATO and Ukraine.

It is important for us to be here, where Ukrainians young and old continue to stand together – with courage and conviction that their freedom is worth fighting for.

Russia’s aggression continues unabated. They are bombarding civilians and civilian infrastructure. Russia is terrorizing the population. Mass missile and drone attacks, to destroy and disrupt and the constant threat of hypersonic strikes. All of this is taking a toll on the people of this country – and increasingly beyond your borders as we saw just last week in Romania.

The danger Russia continues to pose is real. And our resolve in defending ourselves and continuing to support Ukraine in the face of this threat is unshaken.

Russia’s recklessness is not new. But as Ukraine continues to stand strong – to innovate and to make battlefield gains, Russia is increasingly desperate.

Russian losses are substantial – over 30,000 per month. This means loosing more men in one month than the Soviet Union did in 10 years in the 1980s in Afghanistan. Absolutely staggering numbers.

I have to say something here. But I need to say it to young Russians and their families.

You’re being sold a raw deal. Men like you who join the fight – you won’t be trained.

The equipment they’ll provide you is substandard.

There is a very high chance you’ll die or be wounded while you’re out there – and odds are that if you are wounded, you’ll be left to suffer in the mud and die.

So when we talk about tens of thousands of casualties – that’s not abstract. That will probably be you.

Meanwhile, we know Russia’s economy is under serious strain. Even with some temporary relaxing of sanctions due to oil shortages, Russia cannot compensate for the toll their war is taking on their battered finances.

The pressure is meant to bring Russia to the negotiating table – to end this terrible war that they started over four years ago – but tragically they show no signs of stopping. The most recent attacks on Kyiv and across Ukraine make this clear. More civilian lives lost, so many wounded. So much damage done.

We strongly condemn Russia’s aggression, and continue to call for a negotiated peace – and here, Volodymyr, it’s clear that you’re really pressing for peace. At the same time, we are also clear-eyed about the need to continue our support for Ukraine.

That is why I am here today in Kyiv along with all 32 NATO Allies.

This is a strong sign of NATO’s continued commitment to our partnership, of our persistent support for Ukraine, and the value of our cooperation.

We talked about the challenges Ukraine faces. The support you need. What Allies are delivering. And also how we can continue to learn from and support each other.

And we also discussed how Ukraine is successfully changing the dynamics on the battlefield.

One of the ways in which we support Ukraine is with the PURL programme – through which NATO provides Ukraine with essential US equipment paid for by Allies and partners. Indeed, this includes the critical air defence that Ukraine needs to protect against the Russian ballistic missiles that continue to target civilian infrastructure across this country.

Allies and partners have now pledged nearly 6 billion in US dollars to Ukraine through PURL – and that support will continue. And PURL is just one avenue through which Allies support Ukraine. Others also continue – including through our command in Wiesbaden, Germany, the Czech Ammunition Initiative and many more.

We continue to work together and learn from each other in the context of drone and counter-drone technology and tactics. And we are seeing more and more direct cooperation among defence industries, pairing Ukrainian ingenuity with investors and industrial know-how across the Alliance. Both for you on the battlefield today, and for Allies tomorrow.

And all of this is an investment in freedom and security. Freedom and security for Ukraine. Freedom and security for NATO.

Dear Volodymyr, thanks again for having us here today. Slava Ukraini!