Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg received Finnish President Alexander Stubb at NATO headquarters yesterday, Wednesday. According to a statement issued by NATO headquarters in Brussels, the meeting came just days after Finland celebrated the first anniversary of its joining the alliance.
The Secretary-General praised Helsinki's many contributions to NATO, saying "Finland takes security and defense very seriously." “You have made defense spending a priority for a long time and we are grateful for the fact that when Finland joined NATO, another NATO Ally spends 2% more on defence. Your highly trained personnel and advanced military capabilities strengthen our deterrence and defense,” he said. He said. Mr. Stoltenberg also thanked Finland for its strong support for Ukraine, amounting to about €2 billion in military aid since 2022, and welcomed Finland's recent conclusion of a 10-year security agreement with Kiev.
The Secretary-General stressed the urgent need to continue military support to Ukraine amid the difficult situation on the battlefield. “Funding delays have direct consequences on the ground every day,” he said. “A delay in the delivery of air defenses will allow Russian missiles to hit more targets, and a delay in the delivery of ammunition will allow Russia to put pressure along the front line. Ukraine simply cannot afford to wait. It needs air defences, ammunition and aid now.”
"NATO is actively working to ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine now and in the long term," Stoltenberg stressed.