NATO military assistance to Ukraine will need to be re-confirmed at future summits - Spruds

RIGA - NATO's military assistance to Ukraine in 2025 is planned to amount to at least EUR 40 billion, but the agreement on the funding will have to be re-confirmed at the next NATO summits, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds (Progressives) told LETA.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed his wish before the Washington Summit that NATO countries would agree on a long-term support plan for Ukraine, estimated at EUR 40 billion per year. The burden would be shared among countries according to their gross domestic product (GDP), with the US providing 50 percent of the aid.

The strategic agreement reached at the summit, Spruds explained, was that this should be long-term support, but that this would have to be agreed and reconfirmed at the next NATO summit. The number of countries that have signed the assistance, security commitment agreement with Ukraine is steadily growing, the Defense Minister pointed out. Latvia plans to allocate 0.25 percent of its GDP for this purpose.

Asked what discussions took place at the summit at the level of defense ministers, Spruds pointed out that the NATO Summit is mainly a meeting of heads of state and government, where discussions take place at the highest level. In parallel, discussions take place in different formats between both foreign and defense ministers. Latvia had bilateral meetings and discussions with the ministers of Germany, Australia, Poland and Ukraine. He believes it is important for countries to be constantly aware of the situation, the work to be done together and the practical steps to be taken.

On the Latvian side, Spruds said that in the area of defense it was important to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defense. It is also about the implementation of regional plans and the powers of the NATO Supreme Commander. He said that NATO Commanders-in-Chief have been given additional powers to start very quickly preparations for the activation of regional plans. There was also the rotational model in air defense, which has been discussed and will continue to be discussed, but there are also concrete decisions to be taken in this area, namely that the rotational model in air defense should be actively implemented, with a particular focus on NATO's Eastern flank, so that there are air defense systems here.

Spruds emphasized that ways should be found to bring air defense systems to NATO's Eastern Flank on a rotational basis, as well as the presence of additional fighters on NATO's Eastern Flank. In his view, there are different ways of deterrence and defense reinforcement. He expressed confidence that further talks would continue on the details.

The Defense Minister stressed that one of the important topics at the summit was support to Ukraine. Member States have agreed that Ukraine's membership of the Alliance is irreversible and that Ukraine is on its way to NATO membership. Spruds has also previously stressed that Ukraine should be the 33rd member of NATO, a position also supported by Latvia. The NATO Summit agreed on the work to be done. Although there are discussions, there is agreement on training, on the provision of assistance, on NATO taking a coordinating role in the delivery of aid to Ukraine, on a financial contribution of USD 40 billion in 2025. It is also necessary to strengthen the interoperability between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and NATO military forces, which is an essential aspect of moving closer to NATO.

"The NATO Summit Declaration underlines that Russia is a long-term threat, so we need to take this into account and be ready to act, including proactively, towards Russia in the long term. It is no longer just a military threat, but also a hybrid threat, which Russia is actively pursuing, so the Alliance must be ready to respond. Overall, there was good news at the NATO Summit," the Defense Minister said.

Asked what Latvia's homework was after the NATO Summit, Spruds stressed that strengthening NATO is a continuous process. The summit outlines the strategic direction, agrees on concrete actions to be taken, but also a lot has been done. Latvia, for example, has done a lot in the area of defense. This is linked to NATO's presence in Latvia, infrastructure is being developed. The Minister of Defense mentioned that on July 3 the formation of a NATO brigade in Latvia started. A brigade-sized exercise will also take place in the autumn. The construction of the Selija training grounds is also actively progressing.

"To some extent, we are leading by example, because we are investing in security and defense, which is the Government's top priority for the coming year as well. This shows that security and defense must be constantly reinforced, as must the willingness to invest funding. Latvia will already allocate more than 3 percent of GDP to defense this year. Our example should be followed by other Alliance Member States, and we are seeing positive progress. While several years ago about ten countries met the 2 percent of GDP criterion, this year it will be 23 countries," said the Defense Minister.

Political will, commitment, investment of funds are important, but we need to strengthen our own capabilities. On the one hand, Latvia has a NATO presence, which strengthens common security, but we also need to strengthen our own armed forces with different capacities. Air defense is also essential, as are long-range missile artillery systems and coastal defense. The agreements have been signed and it is a question of implementation, he stressed. As Minister of Defense, he highlighted the introduction of new technological capabilities as one of his priorities, taking into account the Ukrainian experience.

"During the NATO Summit, a meeting of the Drone Coalition was also held. New member states continue to join the coalition. Of course, the Drone Coalition is there to support Ukraine, but it is also helping to strengthen our own capabilities, to actively use the capacity and involvement of the military industry, both in NATO as a whole and in Latvia. There is a lot of homework to do and we will continue to do it together with our allies," said Spruds.

Asked about his position on the lifting of restrictions on the use of arms supplied to Ukraine and the discussions that took place during the summit, the Defense Minister stressed that he had already stated his position before and it was the same as Latvia's, namely that Ukraine has the right to self-defense to defend its territory and the lives of its residents, as well as the right to fight for its freedom. In his view, Ukraine must not be tied with one hand behind its back. The Russians are hitting the population, including from Russian territory, but Ukraine cannot hit back.

"These brutal war crimes against the population, including against children, make it clear that Russia is a long-term threat, that it spares no human life and ignores all norms. That is why we must increasingly assert Ukraine's right to strike at targets, above all military sites on Russian territory. The process is gradual. Yes, Latvia would like it to be faster and without any restrictions. What Russia has done shows its brutal face and character, which means that there is also growing support for giving Ukraine the right. Many countries have signaled this commitment and have also allowed Ukraine to use weapons, including against targets in Russia," Spruds stressed.