Jens Stoltenberg at NATO parliamentary assembly in Sofia: NATO's goal is peace

"The main purpose of NATO is not to fight the war. The main purpose of NATO is to prevent war, preserve peace. NATO's goal is peace. We have an aggressive Russia Russia which is using force against neighbours of NATO - Ukraine, but also, we have seen it against Georgia. We have seen how Russia has forces in Moldova, and how they're threatening other countries. Then of course, we need to do more to strengthen our deterrence and defence," Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said at the opening of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on May 27 in Sofia.

He said NATO is changing, NATO is reacting and adapting to the changing world.

"We now live in a more dangerous world - NATO has to react to this difficult security environment," Stoltenberg added.

He stressed that NATO will demonstrate in Washington that when it agreed that more forces are needed, at higher readiness, new capabilities, that it is actually delivering on that.

"Our allies are investing in new military capabilities. When we published our latest report on defence spending in February, 18 Allies spent 2% or more of GDP on defence, and that is significantly more than just a few years ago - two years ago, less than 10 Allies spent 2% or more on defence. And if we compare with 2014 when we made the pledge all NATO Allies to invest 2% of GDP on defence, only three Allies - Greece, United Kingdom and United States spent 2% of GDP on defence. So, in February when we have the latest update - 18. Then since February, Sweden has joined and they spend 2% of GDP. So, then you can add one more, that's 19," Stoltenberg said. "We will have at least have two thirds of Allies spending 2% of GDP on defence by the Washington Summit," he added.

He clarified that the second main topic will be Ukraine.

"We saw the horrific attack on the shopping mall in Kharkiv over the weekend. Many civilians killed, many wounded. And it's yet another example of the brutality of this war and why this war has to end and why Russia has to stop attacking a sovereign independent nation. It is simply unacceptable that Russia continues to attack, invade another sovereign independent nation and that was demonstrated yet again by the brutal attack against a shopping mall in Kharkiv.

NATO Allies have provided unprecedented military support to Ukraine. Many partners have also provided support, and I am grateful for that. Providing economic, humanitarian support to Ukraine, but when it comes to the military support, it's almost only NATO Allies. 99% of the military support provided to Ukraine is provided by NATO Allies.

And this military support has enabled the Ukrainians to liberate 50% of their territory that Russia occupied in the beginning of the war. And we have to remember where we started at the beginning of the war in February 2022, then most experts believed that Russia was going to control Kyiv within days and the whole of Ukraine within weeks. That didn't happen," the NATO Secretary General noted.

According to Stoltenberg, security is not regional, it is global.

"The problem is that over the last months, we have not delivered to Ukraine what we promised. The United States spent six months agreeing and new package of aid. European Allies that promised one million rounds of ammunition have not delivered anything close to that number of rounds of ammunition to Ukraine. NATO Defence Ministers met with President Zelenskyy in April - he said about the weapons needed, " he said. "These gaps, these delays in military support has had consequences on the ground. The fact that they don't get ammunition, they don't get air defence, they don't get the supplies we have promised, has made it very hard for Ukrainians to defend the land," he said.

"I strongly believe that we need a firmer, stronger institutionalized structure for the support," said Jens Stoltenberg.

And therefore, I think a bigger NATO role in providing that support is the right thing to agree.

He commented that Ukraine should have more predictability.

"I hope that Allies can agree a multiyear financial pledge because the Ukrainians need more long-term knowledge, more predictability to plan and to invest, to ensure that they have the forces they need to defend against the Russian invaders, but also in the future to deter against future Russian aggression. So, what I have suggested for Allies, and I hope that we can agree in July is a stronger organization, a stronger NATO role in providing and coordinating training and support, and a multiyear financial pledge.

The third important topic: the partners in the Asia-Pacific region. "You have to remember who are actually supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. The most important suppliers and supporters of Russia's war in Ukraine in Europe, they are countries in Asia.

China is propping up the Russian war economy delivering dual-use equipment, being the most important trading partner. China has not condemned at any stage, Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China has stepped up economic trade relations with Russia and they are providing 90% of the microelectronics that Russia receives comes from China. And these microprocessors, microelectronics are the equipment that Russia uses to build missiles, battle tanks, planes, which are then used to conduct the brutal war against Ukraine.

So, without this economic support from China, Russia would not have been able to conduct the war in the way they do against Ukraine.

Then the other supplier is Iran, supplying drones also help Russia to build a new drone factory."

"We need to not expand the NATO to the Asia Pacific, NATO will remain Europe and North America, but to work with our partners in the Asia Pacific and therefore welcome that the leaders of the Asia Pacific will be at, we have invited them to attend, the summit in Washington.

That will be for the third time, reflecting that we are expanding our cooperation with these countries, because we share the same values we believe in democratic open societies, but we also strongly believe in the need to stand together in upholding those values.

So, I'll end by saying that we live in a more dangerous world but NATO has become stronger,, he said.

We live in a world with a full-fledged war in Europe, with the new war in the Middle East, with more global rivalry with China, North Korea, Iran or Russia being more aligned, but also then, the need for NATO Allies to be more aligned with our partners around the world. No one can tell with certainty what the next crisis, the next threat will be against NATO Allies. But what we can say with certainty is that whatever that crisis is, we will be able to handle, to ensure that our countries are safe as long as we stand together," Jens Stoltenberg added.