Meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council: ‘Ukraine needs the means to defend its people, protect its infrastructure, and continue to push back against aggression’

Press release, 30 May 2026 (News ● Photos● Broadcasts and videos)

The Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) held a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council (UNIC).

In his welcome address, Marcos Perestrello, President of the NATO PA, underlined that supporting Ukraine in securing a free, sovereign, and prosperous future remains a priority for the Assembly in 2026. He reiterated the message of the Bucha Summit and the Kyiv Security Forum: ‘We must accelerate and increase our political, economic, financial, and military support to Ukraine.’

Mr Perestrello stressed the need to significantly increase contributions to NATO-led initiatives. ‘Since last summer, the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative has supplied 75 % of all missiles to Ukraine’s Patriot batteries and 90 % of the missiles used in other air defence systems. The Assembly has made a clear call to accelerate deliveries of integrated air and missile defence systems, advanced air-to-air capabilities, artillery ammunition, and long-range precision strike capabilities at the scale and speed required to degrade Russian logistics and command structures,’ Mr Perestrello said. According to him, ‘Ukraine needs the means to defend its people, protect its infrastructure, uphold its sovereignty, and continue to push back against aggression – now, not months from now.’

‘At the national level, our responsibility as parliamentarians is clear: we must ensure that procurement systems remain effective and resilient in times of war, while upholding transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability. We should also continue to engage closely with Ukraine – not only to support its efforts, but also to learn from its experience,’ Mr Perestrello said.

Oleksandr Korniyenko, Co-Chair of UNIC and First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, presented the current situation in Ukraine and outlined the main needs. He stressed that every strike carried out by Russia only strengthens the determination and unity of Ukrainians. ‘Ukrainian society remains unshaken and continues to function with remarkable resilience, dignity, and resolve. Crucially, even under this constant rain of missiles, Ukraine’s democratic institutions continue to operate effectively. The government and the Verkhovna Rada are not merely managing the crisis: they advance in systemic reforms aimed to strengthen the rule of law, democratic governance, anti-corruption mechanisms, and Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration. We are proving to the world that Ukraine remains deeply committed to its democratic path, transforming our state even as we defend it,’ the Ukrainian representative said.

As Mr Korniyenko noted, Ukraine is carrying out a massive and historic acceleration of its defence industrial base. ‘We are shifting from being a country that requests assistance to one that contributes to the future of global security. […] Ukraine plays a crucial role in reinforcing the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area, but to sustain this momentum, the scale of the threat demands immediate and decisive action. We are grateful to our Allies and NATO partners who have contributed to PURL,’ Mr Korniyenko said.

He emphasized that Ukraine needs more air defence and ballistic missile defence capabilities. ‘We urgently need new financial contributions to PURL. This is crucial to preserve the momentum on the battlefield and to provide Ukraine with the capabilities needed to bring a just and lasting peace closer.’

Solomiia Bobrovska, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the NATO PA, noted that Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified large-scale invasion forced Ukraine to reform its defence procurement system at the height of the war. ‘The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has passed a law on special defence procurement procedures to make it faster to deliver drones, ammunition, and food to the front line,’ Ms Bobrovska said. According to her, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has developed a system whereby every brigade or military unit can use its own funds to acquire what it needs.

Kateryna Mykhalko, Managing Director of New Age Defence, stressed the need for unmanned systems in every European country.

The Committee hearings and the Plenary Session are streamed live on the Seimas website and YouTube channel Atviras Seimas (Open Seimas). Photos from all the events are published on the Seimas Flickr account and are free for use provided they bear the following indication of the source: Photo by Olga Posaškova, Viktorija Chorna, Ūla Liškevičiūtė, or Lina Žižliauskaitė.

For more information about the Spring Session of the NATO PA in Vilnius, held on 30 May –1 June 2026, please click here.

Rimas Rudaitis, Adviser, Press Office, Information and Communication Department, tel. +370 5 209 6132, e-mail: [email protected]