NATO Secretary General reaffirms transatlantic alliance

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently spoke on the critical importance of the transatlantic Alliance for European security during a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) hosted by the UK government on July 18, 2024.

“The transatlantic Alliance is the cornerstone for European security,” stated Mr. Stoltenberg. He highlighted the urgent need to support freedom and democracy, pointing to Ukraine as the current battleground. “The time to stand for freedom and democracy is now and the place is Ukraine,” he said.

During the meeting, Mr. Stoltenberg announced that NATO’s new command dedicated to coordinating and providing security assistance and training for Ukraine will become operational in September this year.

Mr. Stoltenberg also condemned Russia’s continuous hostile actions against NATO Allies, which include cyber-attacks, sabotage, and disinformation campaigns. “The purpose of Russia’s attacks is to coerce us from providing support to Ukraine, but we will not be coerced,” he asserted. In response to these threats, Allies are enhancing intelligence sharing, protecting critical infrastructure, and conducting national legal processes.

Welcomed to the meeting at Blenheim Palace by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Secretary-General also engaged in discussions with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, and the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy.

The EPC, which brings together around 50 European leaders, primarily NATO Allies and partners, focuses on addressing key issues impacting European security. Topics of discussion included defending democracy, energy and cyber security, instrumentalised migration, and Russia’s war against Ukraine.