NATO Defence Ministers reaffirm their strong commitment to open door policy

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A meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of Defence Ministers took place at the NATO Headquarters on Wednesday 16 February and Thursday 17 February 2022. The meeting was chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.

NATO Secretary General said that NATO Defence Ministers “met to address Russia’s continued military build-up in and around Ukraine,” on the first day of NATO Defence Ministers’ meetings in Brussels.

Jens Stoltenberg said NATO Defence Ministers “met with our close partners Ukraine and Georgia; we addressed the continued threat of Russian aggression, the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea region, and NATO’s strong political and practical support for both countries.”

“Allies confirmed that NATO’s door remains open; any decision on NATO membership is for NATO Allies and aspirant countries to take; nobody else,” NATO Secretary General added. “NATO Allies restated their strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Georgia and Ukraine. We cannot accept a return to an age of spheres of influence, where big powers bully, intimidate, or dictate to others. There can be no decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine; and no decisions about Georgia without Georgia,” he highlighted.

In the final session of this ministerial, NATO Defence Ministers also met with the Defence Ministers of Finland and Sweden and with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

Russia’s build-up the most serious crisis in decades

A day before the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers NATO, on Tuesday, 15 February, Secretary General stated there are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue, saying that this “gives grounds for cautious optimism”. At the same time, the Secretary General stressed that there is no indication of any de-escalation on the ground.

“Russia has amassed a fighting force in and around Ukraine, unprecedented since the Cold War”, Mr Stoltenberg said ahead of a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers on Wednesday.

“Everything is now in place for a new attack, but Russia still has time to step back from the brink”, Mr Stoltenberg said, urging Russia “to stop preparing for war and start working for a peaceful solution to the crisis.”

Joint Statement on the situation in and around Ukraine

On 16 February, 2022 NATO Defence Ministers issued a joint statement on the situation in and around Ukraine.

“We are gravely concerned by the very large scale, unprovoked and unjustified Russian military build-up in and around Ukraine and in Belarus. We urge Russia, in the strongest possible terms, to choose the path of diplomacy, and to immediately reverse its build-up and withdraw its forces from Ukraine in accordance with its international obligations and commitments. We remain committed to our dual-track approach to Russia: strong deterrence and defence, combined with openness to dialogue.

“Russia’s actions pose a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. As a consequence and to ensure the defence of all Allies, we are deploying additional land forces in the eastern part of the Alliance, as well as additional maritime and air assets, as announced by Allies, and have increased the readiness of our forces. Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory. We are prepared to further strengthen our defensive and deterrent posture to respond to all contingencies.

“Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad. We stand united to defend each other.

“NATO remains committed to the foundational principles underpinning European security, including that each nation has the right to choose its own security arrangements. We reaffirm our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. As stated previously, any further Russian aggression against Ukraine will have massive consequences and carry a high price. NATO will continue to closely coordinate with relevant stakeholders and other international organisations including the EU.

“NATO and Allies continue to pursue diplomacy and dialogue with Russia on Euro-Atlantic security issues, including at the highest levels. We support all these efforts, and efforts in the Normandy Format to implement the Minsk agreements. We have expressed our readiness to engage in a Renewed European Security Dialogue initiated by Poland as the current OSCE Chair. We have made substantive proposals to Russia to enhance the security of all nations in the Euro-Atlantic region and await a response. We have repeatedly offered, and continue to offer, further dialogue through the NATO-Russia Council, and stand ready to engage. We strongly encourage Russia to reciprocate and to choose diplomacy and de-escalation.”

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