The Foreign Secretary will address a gathering of Alliance Foreign Ministers in Brussels, emphasizing NATO's steadfast support for Ukraine.
David Cameron will urge Allies to bolster their defense efforts by investing more, producing more, and delivering more in light of ongoing Russian aggression and escalating threats to global stability.
Amidst celebrations marking NATO's 75th anniversary and the recent inclusion of Sweden as its 32nd member, the Foreign Secretary will underscore the Alliance's heightened strength, unity, and relevance.
As Russia persists in its unlawful conflict with Ukraine, Lord Cameron will stress the imperative of sustaining aid to Ukraine, which now stands closer to NATO than ever before. He will advocate for NATO Allies to participate in British-led initiatives aimed at procuring NATO-standard missiles and munitions for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
This year marks a decade since Allies committed to allocating at least 2% of their GDP to defense spending at the NATO Summit in Wales. In a speech delivered jointly with the Royal United Services Institute, the Foreign Secretary will laud NATO's progress since 2014 while urging Allies to increase defense expenditures, intensify support for Ukraine, and enhance defense industrial output.
All Allies concur on Ukraine's eventual NATO membership, and the UK pledges to continue facilitating Ukraine's journey towards this goal.
David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, remarked:
"As we celebrate 75 years since NATO's inception, we witness a NATO that is stronger and more vital than ever, particularly following Sweden's recent accession."
"With Ukraine now closer to NATO than ever, we must sustain the vital support necessary for Ukraine to prevail in the conflict."
"Allies must step up and invest more in defense in the face of ongoing Russian aggression and a world growing increasingly perilous."
The Foreign Secretary will extend a warm welcome to Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, acknowledging Sweden's historic decision to join the Alliance in response to Russian aggression, thereby reinforcing NATO's commitment to collective defense in the Euro-Atlantic region.
As NATO confronts the challenges posed by a volatile world, the UK is deepening partnerships with nations in the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea, all of whom will participate in the meeting. NATO will also strengthen its longstanding relationship with the EU, which will engage with NATO on shared challenges at the Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
Since its inception on April 4th, 1949, NATO has been infused with British influence, with its initial headquarters in London and its first Secretary General being British. NATO remains foundational to UK defense, with the UK contributing to every NATO mission and deploying almost all of its armed forces to safeguard the 1 billion people residing across Allied territories. Photo by FinnishGovernment, Wikimedia commons.