NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg participated in a gathering of the International Affairs Council of the European Union with EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on Tuesday (14 November 2023) to debate the safety of crucial undersea infrastructure and the significance of continued assist to Ukraine.
The Secretary Normal careworn that the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines final yr and the latest harm to the Balticconnector pipeline and cables present that infrastructure is susceptible, and that threats are actual and growing.
Since these incidents, NATO has stepped up air and naval patrols and elevated presence within the Baltic and North Seas. On the Vilnius Summit in July, Allies agreed to ascertain a brand new centre on crucial undersea infrastructure at NATO’s Maritime Command in the UK. NATO and the European Union have additionally established a process power on the resilience of crucial infrastructure. “Vital infrastructure is vital, and it is an space the place we as soon as once more see the relevance and significance of cooperation between the NATO and the European Union,” stated the Secretary Normal.
On the scenario in Ukraine, Mr Stoltenberg highlighted that intense preventing continues. “The scenario on the battlefield is troublesome. And that simply makes it much more vital that we maintain and step up our assist for Ukraine as a result of we can not enable President Putin to win,” stated the Secretary Normal. “Ukraine should prevail as a sovereign unbiased nation in Europe and it is in our curiosity to assist Ukraine,” he stated.
