(13 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels, Belgium – 13 June 2024
++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES/ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
1. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg approaching reporters
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General:
"What we are doing now is that we are agreeing a NATO plan for security assistance and training for Ukraine to ensure a more robust framework, to ensure more predictability, and combined with a financial pledge. The whole idea is to minimize the risk for gaps and delays, as we saw earlier this year, because the gaps and delays in both the provision of military support from the United States, but also from several European allies made a difference on the battlefield. This is one of the reasons why the Russians are now able to push and to and to actually occupy more land in Ukraine. And therefore Ukraine needs predictability, they need a long-term commitment, and we also need more accountability."
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General:
"We will also address how to ensure that we have a more robust framework platform for our support to ensure also that we have a long-term, commitment and therefore I expect that the NATO ministers will agree a plan for NATO security assistance and training for Ukraine. And we will also discuss a long-term financial pledge that I expect our leaders will agree at the NATO summit in July."
++BLACK FRAMES++
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General:
"I expect all the NATO ministers to address the Russian campaign of hostile activities against the NATO allies. We have seen several examples of sabotage, of arson attempts, of cyber attacks, of disinformation. And we will also then work on NATO response options, which I expect will include increased awareness, exchange of information intelligence, step up the protection of critical infrastructure, including undersea infrastructure and cyber and also tighter restrictions on Russian intelligence personnel across the Alliance."
++BLACK FRAMES++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General:
"Ukraine has the right for self-defense and the right of self-defense includes also striking legitimate military targets on the territory of the aggressor, Russia. If they were not able to do so, then we would actually ask them to try to defend themselves, uphold the right of self-defense, with one hand tied behind their back. Self-defense is not escalation. Self-defense is a right enshrined in the UN charter, and we have the right to help Ukraine uphold the right. And by doing that, and NATO allies, don’t become party to the conflict."
++BLACK FRAMES++
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General:
"When I met Prime Minister (Viktor) Orban yesterday, we agreed that Ukraine (he means Hungary) will not be part of this effort. They will not send Ukrainian (he means Hungarian) personnel to the NATO effort to provide more security assistance and training. They will not be part of the financial pledge. But at the same time, Hungary made it clear that they will not, block other allies from moving forward to agree the plan and to agree a financial pledge. And, and, Hungary also, of course, meet all its alternate obligations, including by, their contributions to NATO’s common funding."
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
NATO defense ministers gathered Thursday hoping to agree on a new plan to provide long-term security assistance and military training to Ukraine after Hungary promised not to veto the scheme as long as it’s not forced to take part.
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