NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday (24 March 2022) participated in meeting of G7 leaders to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the global response to President Putin’s brutal and unjustified war. Organised by Germany, and hosted at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the meeting came on the back of the NATO Summit which took place earlier on Thursday.
The Secretary General stressed that at Thursday’s extraordinary NATO Summit, Allies condemned Russia’s unjustified invasion and reiterated their full support for Ukraine. NATO Allies are stepping up support to Ukraine, including with cybersecurity assistance and equipment to help Ukraine protect against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. Pointing to the strong display of unity expressed at the NATO Summit, the Secretary General underlined that Allies will continue to impose unprecedented costs on Russia. Mr Stoltenberg also underlined that NATO will further reinforce its presence in the eastern part of the Alliance including with four new battlegroups to be set up in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.
G7 leaders reaffirmed their strong unity and commitment to continue working together to address the gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades. They also addressed Beijing’s role in the crisis, and Mr Stoltenberg reiterated that NATO called on China to refrain from supporting Russia’s war effort, use its significant influence on Russia and promote an immediate, peaceful resolution.