A two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers has begun in Brussels to discuss the war in Ukraine, plans to strengthen the Alliance’s defence and defence production. This is the first meeting chaired by new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, DPA reports.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov will also attend the event. Zelenskyy will present his long-awaited “victory plan” to end the war with Russia and call for Ukraine’s immediate invitation to join NATO, as well as the lifting of restrictions on long-range weapons.
Mark Rutte, commenting on Zelenskyy’s proposals, expressed cautious support, noting that the Alliance cannot fully support the entire plan. The topic of Ukraine’s accession to NATO remains controversial, as there are concerns about a possible escalation of the war and the involvement of NATO members in the conflict.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov will brief his NATO counterparts on Ukraine’s preparations for defence against future winter attacks from Russia. The meeting will also be attended by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
NATO Supreme Allied Commander Christopher Cavoli will present the Alliance’s new defence plans, and ministers will discuss projects to standardise NATO weapons. For the first time, representatives of the defence ministries of Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand will join the discussion, reflecting the Alliance’s expanding cooperation with partners in Asia.
In addition, the issue of “growing cooperation between authoritarian states such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran” is on the agenda, as Rutte also stated.
