NATO Foreign Ministers concluded two days of meetings and events in Prague, Czech Republic on Friday (31 May 2024) with an informal session of the North Atlantic Council. In a meeting chaired by NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, Allies made progress on preparations for the Washington Summit in July and agreed that providing support to Ukraine should remain a top priority.
Speaking after the Council, the Secretary General said that NATO will take a greater coordination role in providing equipment and training to Ukraine, saying this would "provide more predictability for Kyiv and address both immediate and longer-term needs." He highlighted the fact "practically all military aid to Ukraine - 99 percent - comes from NATO Allies" affirming it made sense that NATO should play "a greater role" in these efforts. The Secretary General has also proposed a multi-year financial pledge for Ukraine.
"Russia must understand that it cannot wait us out," the Secretary General said highlighting the fact that. since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, "Allies have provided approximately 40 billion euros worth of military aid to Ukraine each year." Mr Stoltenberg emphasised that, in order to accelerate the end of the war, NATO members must maintain "at least" current levels of support to Ukraine "for as long as necessary."
