NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday that the bloc is expected to agree to a five-point plan to help Ukraine in its war with Russia, including transitioning international support to a unified command and a pledge from countries to continue military support for Kiev for at least another year.
Stoltenberg told reporters at a roundtable in Washington, DC, ahead of NATO’s key annual summit in Washington this week that NATO would set up a 700-person headquarters in Germany, led by a three-star NATO general.
The command will take over much of the international support for Ukraine, currently managed by the Ukrainian Defense Liaison Group, an alliance of about 50 nations. The base will also oversee training and logistics for the support of Ukraine.
NATO will also commit among its 32-nation alliance to maintaining current aid levels for Ukraine for at least another year, and Stoltenberg said the allies would eventually establish minimum standards for future financial assistance.
While the agreements stop short of incorporating Ukraine into NATO, as Kyiv has long sought, Stoltenberg said both plans would bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership.
“These are complete, actionable actions. [Ukraine] “Moving closer to NATO prepares Ukraine to join NATO,” he said. “Of course language is important, but I strongly believe what matters just as much, maybe even more, is what we do.”
Other agreements NATO allies are expected to reach at the summit include announcements by the allies of more weapons, including advanced systems, and strengthening interoperability between Ukrainian and NATO forces.
By the time the summit begins, about 20 allies will also have signed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine. President Biden signed an agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month committing to supporting Kyiv and its defense over the next 10 years.
The NATO summit begins on Tuesday as Russian forces press along a 600-mile front in Ukraine, where the country is engaged in fierce fighting to thwart a Russian advance.
The US and NATO have maintained that Ukraine will one day become an ally, but have not said when exactly. Recognizing Ukraine as an ally in the midst of a major war would technically trigger Article 5, which requires nations to defend allies under attack.
Stoltenberg insisted that allies had agreed to “ambitious” action to support Ukraine and would ease support for the allies.
“These are agreed-upon commitments from NATO to deliver something more responsible and more capable,” he said.
Stoltenberg said the summit would also address the issue of defense spending across the alliance, a tough challenge with some countries struggling to meet the target of 2 percent of their economic output.
The NATO secretary-general said he expected a message from the summit to increase defense spending beyond the 2 percent target.
