Stoltenberg: NATO is more united than ever

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday afternoon held the closing press conference of the NATO summit in Vilnius, stating that major decisions were made over the past two days that would adapt NATO for the future.

“We agreed NATO’s most detailed and robust defence plans since the Cold War. We strengthened our commitment to defence investment. We agreed to bring Ukraine closer to the Alliance, and step up support for the long haul. And we deepened our partnerships around the world even more,” the secretary general said.

The head of NATO chaired the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on 12 July and emphasised that now they would meet and decide as equals, which is a significant step to bring Ukraine closer to NATO.

Stoltenberg noted that allies have provided military aid to Ukraine worth tens of billions of dollars and trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. “As Ukraine continues to liberate territory, we will stand by them. For as long as it takes,” he said.