On Wednesday (26 March 2025), NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska welcomed the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, to NATO Headquarters for a meeting with Allies in the North Atlantic Council.
Ms. Shekerinska emphasised the need for Europe to boost defence spending and ramp up defence production, noting that a stronger European defence will also contribute to a stronger Alliance. Recognising that NATO and the EU are natural and indispensable partners, she stressed that efforts directed toward the European defence industry and capability development need to be complementary, coherent and interoperable with NATO, and involve non-EU Allies as much as possible.
The Deputy General Secretary also highlighted the decisive role that NATO and the EU have played in helping Ukraine defend itself. She underscored the importance of further strengthening Ukraine both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.
Ms. Shekerinska underlined the importance of continued NATO-EU exchanges to foster transparency on the issues of clear common interest and to explore further avenues of cooperation. She welcomed the White Paper for European Defence, and looked forward to working in "a truly collaborative way" during its implementation.
