NATO Foreign Ministers call for stronger support for Ukraine. Romania stresses the security of the Black Sea and the Republic of Moldova
NATO Foreign Ministers met in Brussels on 3 November and set new commitments that strengthen allied defense and maintain support for Ukraine. Their discussions also covered the security of the Republic of Moldova in the context of regional risks.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed that the Alliance must accelerate the decisions made at the Hague summit, from raising defense budgets to increasing industrial production.
He emphasized that peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow do not reduce the need to continue military support.
" We must ensure that Ukraine stays as strong as possible in today’s fight and holds the best position when peace negotiations intensify," Rutte said.
NATO raised four billion dollars from August until now, but "this year requires another billion", Rutte stated, adding that the Alliance must also secure resources for 2026.
Regarding Russia, the NATO Secretary General highlighted two key conditions for a fair peace. The flow of weapons to Ukraine must continue, and economic sanctions must remain effective.
Nordic countries plan larger security investments
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard warned that the outcome of the war will shape European security in the long term.
"How the war in Ukraine ends will have a huge impact on European and transatlantic security", she said, adding that Sweden will reach 3.5 percent of its GDP for defense by 2030.
She noted that Nordic states contribute one-third of all military aid provided by NATO members this year, a signal to other countries that they should "do more now to avoid higher costs in the future".
Radoslaw Sikorski: Putin’s threats are not just words
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski highlighted the direct risks to the allies.
"Vladimir Putin threatens us Europeans, and these are not just words", Sikorski said, recalling the attempted sabotage of a Polish train.
He announced that Poland will join Germany and Norway in a joint financial package within the United States program that supports Ukraine, PURL, worth 500 million dollars.
"We hope Putin understands the message and Ukraine can secure a fair peace", the Polish minister said.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Silvia Țoiu highlighted the growing role of NATO in countering hybrid threats and the need to modernize air defense capabilities, especially against drones.
"Our key objectives involve air defense and ways to protect our airspace from drone incursions," she said.
She focused on regional security and cooperation with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. She announced a trilateral meeting in Vienna in the Odesa Triangle format with the foreign ministers of the two countries. They will discuss the future of the region and the security of the Republic of Moldova.
Protecting the Black Sea also remains a strategic priority. "It is essential not only for NATO but also for the flow of trade, including grain exports from Ukraine", Oana Silvia Țoiu noted.
She underlined the support offered to the Republic of Moldova through the European Peace Facility and confirmed that she will discuss additional security measures with her counterpart in Chișinău during the OSCE ministerial meeting this week.
The Brussels meeting also includes a session of the NATO Ukraine Council with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The session focuses on maintaining allied support for Kyiv while peace negotiations advance slowly.
