NATO is more important than ever, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasizes in his annual report for 2023 – and calls for even more help for Ukraine.
– The NATO countries are not providing Ukraine with enough ammunition, says the NATO chief in Brussels.
The seriousness of Ukraine weighs heaviest when Stoltenberg presents his annual report on the military alliance’s activities during the past year.
Ukraine needs more help – and now.
– Ukraine’s courage is not running out, but the ammunition is, says Stoltenberg, who calls it a “historic mistake” if the world allows Russian President Vladimir Putin to emerge victorious from the war in Ukraine.
The majority of member states do not meet the target
At the same time, Stoltenberg is pushing hard that recent opinion polls show “rock-solid” support for NATO, around the 32 member states. For example, only 13 percent of the Americans polled would currently vote to leave the military alliance, claims the NATO chief.
Regarding the long-worn question of how much the NATO countries spend on their defense, the Secretary General repeats previous information that two thirds of the members will meet the two percent goal in 2024, including the newest member Sweden. In 2023, eleven countries passed the two percent target.