Reaffirming Ukraine Support a ‘Priority’ Ahead of NATO Summit

Reaffirming international support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression is the “priority” ahead of an upcoming NATO summit, an official from the military alliance has said.

Speaking to TVP World on Wednesday, Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Benedetta Berti said that discussions within the Western alliance are focused on how to continue supplying Kyiv with the military equipment it needs to “push back” against Russia and “negotiate from a position of strength.” 

Berti said: “As you know, 99% of the military assistance to Ukraine comes from NATO allies. So I would say the discussions are really focused towards the [upcoming NATO summit in] Ankara. 

“How do we continue? How do we ramp up support? How do we ensure predictability?... I would say that’s the priority right now at NATO,” she added. 

The leaders of NATO member countries are set to meet in the Turkish capital Ankara from July 7-8 amid ongoing global crises, including the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East.

Berti told TVP World that last year’s NATO summit in The Hague – which saw member states agree to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 – demonstrated a “reset” of the alliance’s commitment to defense spending. 

“What I would expect for Ankara is, first of all, allies will want to see that there’s been progress… so that all allies are moving towards that 5% goalpost,” the NATO official said, adding that the alliance would also discuss how to make sure that Canada and European member states “take more responsibility for our collective defense.” 

Other Topics of Interest

Zelensky Says US Air Defense Licenses Are Key Priority After G7

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed post-G7 defense priorities with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, including US licenses for air defense production, new PURL contributions and faster deliveries of anti-ballistic missiles.

Berti also said there is room for more joint development and cooperation between Western and Ukrainian defense firms, adding that Kyiv has “shown how significant and important the Ukrainian defense industry could be to European security.” 

Since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has rapidly developed domestic weapons platforms as the country fights for its survival. 

Analysts have said that Ukraine has quickly emerged as a global leader in unmanned warfare in particular, with other countries looking to learn from its experience and innovations in technology such as drones, loitering munitions and domestically produced guided bombs.