UK to push Allies to increase support for Ukraine and defence spending at NATO
Foreign Secretary David Lammy will attend the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Brussels.
Brussels, Belgium. Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends the North Atlantic Council at the NATO Headquarters.
- NATO Allies will be urged to bolster support for Ukraine at the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels
- UK will underscore its commitment to 2.5% defence spending
- push will include calls for greater spending on defence capabilities
The UK will call on all NATO Allies to ramp up their support for Ukraine during the Foreign Secretary’s first NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Brussels today. As Ukraine endures a third winter since Russia’s full-scale invasion, he will call on Allies to boost their military assistance and ensure Ukraine continues on its irreversible path to NATO membership.
The visit reaffirms the UK’s unshakable commitment to NATO, and our mission to delivering stability and security to enable a more prosperous future for our country. Investing in our collective defence is vital to supporting opportunity and prosperity in the UK – securing supply chains, protecting energy security and underpinning the conditions for continued growth at home.
During his intervention at the North Atlantic Council, the Foreign Secretary will reiterate the vital importance of NATO as the foundation of UK and Euro-Atlantic security, which supports the conditions for our economic security and growth including through the UK’s own defence industry.
He will also call on Allies to deter cooperation between Russia and its key enablers. Russia has increasing third-party support which must be met with a robust and decisive response from NATO Allies, with the deployment of DPRK forces to Kursk, and Iranian transfers of ballistic missiles to Russia.
We will make clear that failing to increase Euro-Atlantic support, will embolden an increasingly aggressive Putin, and force Allies to invest far more in the future. The UK has provided £12.8 billion of support to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion and has committed to providing £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine for as long as it takes, with some of the UK’s leading defence companies further helping to strengthen Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.
The Foreign Secretary will also reiterate the Alliance‘s concerns about China’s role in enabling Russia’s invasion through its exports to the Russian defence industry.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:
Investment in Ukraine’s security is investment in Euro-Atlantic and global security.
99% of military support to Ukraine has been from NATO Allies. This support is critical to enabling Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression, and the UK and Allies must double down on our efforts to ensure Ukraine prevails.
This government has been clear that Europe must do more together now by increasing defence spending. This is a strategic imperative for our whole continent and it is why the UK is committed to 2.5% as soon as possible.
At the Foreign Ministerial Meeting, the Foreign Secretary will meet key Allies, including the Finnish, Danish and Turkish foreign ministers. He will discuss a range of matters, including the need to boost defence spending, helping to strengthen both the UK and Ukraine’s defence industrial bases and support investment in further military capabilities.
Minister of State for Europe, North America, and the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, attended the first day of the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting, where he advocated for continued support for Ukraine and attended the NATO-Ukraine Council working dinner. He also met with HM King Abdullah II of Jordan alongside Allies to discuss Jordan’s vital role as a NATO partner, and the wider security picture in the Middle East.
The Foreign Secretary will travel on to Malta on Wednesday evening for a working dinner at the OSCE Foreign Ministerial meeting where he will further reiterate the importance of doubling down on support to Ukraine.
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