The NATO Headquarters hosted a regular Defence Ministerial Meeting with the participation of the NATO invitees, Finland and Sweden.
All NATO nations voiced a strong condemnation of the Russian aggression and an unwavering commitment to continue assisting Ukraine with all the country would need for a definitive victory. The Ministerial Meeting was attended by Ukrainian Defence Minister Reznikov who said the upcoming months will be decisive for the development of the war. “Implicitly, not only the scope but especially the speed of our assistance will be critical”, said Minister Černochová, who represented the Czech Republic.
The Ministers endorsed the Political Guidance 2023, which has set the primary course for NATO defence planning for the next four years, specifically for the building of defence capabilities needed for collective defence and other NATO needs. The Political Guidance represents a basic planning document that sets forth the political assignment for NATO nations’ defence capability planning. It is issued on quadrennial basis and its purpose is to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence posture so as to get the Alliance ready for a persistently aggravated security environment in Europe due to the Russian aggression.
“The Political Directive is designed to strengthen NATO’s primary role such as to deter Russia as well as any other opponent from attacking Allied nations,” said Minister Černochová and added that for that purpose we need to procure new weapon systems, increase ammunition stocks and build new military capabilities, especially in the field of advanced technologies. “What is also crucial is a clearly defined political will to use those capabilities in case of threat. And by using them I do not mean that they would be used by one nation, but that they would be used by NATO as a whole. The representatives of the NATO nations expressed their clear will in this Ministerial meeting to proceed in this way” Minister Černochová elaborated.
The Czech Republic seeks to stand a good example in the domain of increasing defence spending. We are planning and realising huge investments into armed forces modernisation and our defence expenditure will reach 2% GDP already in the next year.
Another key topic on the Defence Ministers’ agenda was the need to increase the defence industrial production capacities to have sufficient stocks of ammunition and spare parts. The Ministers agreed that NATO should play a higher role in coordination and support.
Besides the Defence Ministerial, the so-called Ramstein Group was in session. The Czech Republic was mentioned multiple times during that meeting in reference to the assistance we are providing to Ukraine, which primarily involves the supplies of equipment and training of soldiers. United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also spoke highly of the previously executed project that has delivered ninety T-72 MBTs from the stocks of private businesses with the use of funding by the United States and the Netherlands.