NATO Secretary General: “We are determined to protect every part of the Alliance”

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO Secretary General and Chairman of the North Atlantic Council, stated that Russia’s actions in Ukraine had provided us with an explanation of just why defence mattered today and for the future. He said that in recent months, Russia had shown it was ready to redraw borders in Europe, by force if necessary, and it was ready to destabilize nations in pursuit of its geopolitical goals. He stressed that at the plenary sitting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session that started in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania today. “This crisis has shown that defence matters for our Allies. And that NATO is needed as much as ever,” the NATO Head said.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen noted that immediate measures had been taken to strengthen the collective defence. “We already have more planes in the air. More ships at sea. And more exercises on the ground. Next week, with Allied Defence Ministers, we will discuss a readiness action plan in preparation for our Summit in September,” NATO Secretary General stated. According to his words, this includes a review of the defence plans, force posture, scenarios, schedule for our exercises and the possibility of additional deployments.

“We are determined to protect every part of the Alliance. So NATO stands strong. And no Ally stands alone. At the same time, we continue to stand with our partner Ukraine. To support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And the right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future without outside interference,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen claimed at the plenary sitting of the NATO PA Spring Session.

In addition, the NATO Head emphasized the importance of defence spending. In this respect, he highlighted the increase in Russia and cuts by European Allies. He asserted that to keep the defences strong, it was essential to spend more and better on defence. In that regard, Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed recent decisions by Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Romania to increase their defence spending.

Rimas Rudaitis, Public Relations Unit, Communications Department, Office of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: [email protected]