NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg took part in a virtual meeting organised by the President of the United States Joe Biden on Russia’s continued military build-up in and around Ukraine and its implications for European and international security. The meeting also included British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Polish President Andrzej Duda, representing the Chairmanship of the OSCE, as well as the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Participants stressed the importance of unity at this critical time and made clear that any further Russian aggression against Ukraine would come at a high cost. Secretary General Stoltenberg recalled NATO’s consistent dual-track approach towards Russia: strong deterrence and defence, combined with dialogue. He welcomed the additional defensive deployments by NATO Allies to the eastern part of the Alliance, and stressed the need to continue improving NATO’s situational awareness and to enhance collective defence and deterrence in view of the current security situation.
Leaders also agreed on the importance of continued dialogue with Russia. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has invited all members of the NATO-Russia Council to a series of further meetings to discuss European security, including the situation in and around Ukraine, NATO-Russia relations, and arms control and non-proliferation.