Today at 13:50
Photo from Ukrinform
Today begins a two-day meeting of NATO Defense Ministers in Brussels, the organization reports.
The agenda includes:
- taking forward the important decisions leaders made at the NATO summit in July to adapt and strengthen the Alliance;
- discussing progress in boosting NATO’s deterrence and defense;
- reviewing progress in defense spending and burden-sharing, and in adapting the NATO command structure;
- NATO-EU cooperation;
- discussing NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in response to instability in the Middle East and Africa, and a more assertive Russia
In the last session on Thursday, ministers will meet with the high representative of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, and with partners from Finland and Sweden to address NATO-EU cooperation in areas such as countering hybrid and cyber threats, and improving military mobility.
Around 29 ministers will attend the meeting, but due to Hungary’s repeated obstruction of talks with Ukraine, Vadym Prystaiko, head of Ukraine’s mission to NATO, will not attend.
“Hungary blocks NATO’s progress and our practical interaction with the organization, and preventing our minister from attending the NATO meeting is a manifestation of the destructive behavior that Hungary allows itself, having practically taken the Alliance hostage,” Prystaiko said to Channel 24.
