, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the European Political Community meeting hosted by the UK government 18 July 2024

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the European Political Community meeting hosted by the UK government

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underlined the enduring significance of NATO at a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) hosted by the UK government on Thursday (18 July 2024), stating that the “transatlantic Alliance is the cornerstone for European security.”

“The time to stand for freedom and democracy is now and the place is Ukraine” Mr Stoltenberg said, announcing that NATO’s new command to coordinate and provide security assistance and training for Ukraine will become operational in September this year.

The Secretary General also condemned “a pattern of Russian hostile actions against NATO Allies” including cyber-attacks, sabotage and disinformation campaigns. Allies are responding by sharing more intelligence, stepping up the protection of critical infrastructure, and conducting national legal processes. Mr Stoltenberg made clear that the purpose of Russia's attacks is “to coerce us from providing support to Ukraine, but we will not be coerced.”

The Secretary General was welcomed to the meeting at Blenheim Palace by the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.  Mr Stoltenberg also had meetings with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof and the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy.

The EPC brings around 50 European leaders together, mostly NATO Allies and partners, to discuss issues affecting European security, including defending democracy, energy and cyber security, instrumentalised migration and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Doorstep statement

by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the meeting of the European Political Community

18 Jul. 2024 -|Last updated: 18 Jul. 2024 11:28

(As delivered)

So, good morning.

It's great to be back in the United Kingdom and I look forward to attending the meeting of the European Political Community.

NATO is of course a transatlantic Alliance but as you all know, this transatlantic Alliance is the cornerstone for European security.

So therefore, that makes absolute sense that NATO is part of this community.

The place to –the time to stand for freedom and democracy is now and the place is Ukraine and NATO Allies are stepping up our support to Ukraine.

We have agreed to establish a command to coordinate and provide security assistance and training for Ukraine.

And I’m glad that today I can announce that command will be operational in September.

It will be 700 personnel in Germany with a three-star general as the commander and it will provide us support and the security assistance to Ukraine, and coordinate the efforts of NATO Allies.

Today, we will also discuss how to defend our democracies, both from external threats, but also from internal threats.

And we have seen a pattern of Russian hostile actions against NATO Allies with cyber attacks and sabotage, disinformation over the last months and Allies are taking measures against these hostile actions both individually and collectively, with more intelligence sharing, with increased awareness, with the stepping up of protection of our critical infrastructure, including undersea infrastructure, we have established a new centre to protect critical infrastructure here in the United Kingdom.

And Allies are also taking actions individually with legal processes, arrests across the Alliance.

The purpose of Russia's hostile actions, cyber attacks, sabotage against NATO Allies is to coerce us from providing support to Ukraine, but we will not be coerced.

We will continue to support Ukraine.

Thank you.