BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, to NATO headquarters on Wednesday, October 28, in a meeting the alliance said highlighted strong NATO-EU cooperation on readiness, defence production and support for Ukraine.
Source: NATO
Commissioner Kubilius spoke with NATO ambassadors in the North Atlantic Council, setting out priorities that included enhancing readiness, boosting defence production and ensuring consistent support to Ukraine, according to NATO's statement.
Source: NATO
Moving forces across Europe
One area where cooperation is particularly crucial is military mobility, NATO said: the ability to move military equipment and personnel into and across Europe is critical for the alliance's deterrence and defence. That requires regulatory issues to be addressed and the right infrastructure to be in place, the statement said. Kubilius noted ongoing work in this area, and Rutte welcomed the progress made while saying further work is required to ensure military readiness.
Source: NATO
Anadolu Agency's report of the meeting likewise said military mobility was among the key areas of cooperation discussed, alongside defence production and continued support for Ukraine, and that the efforts require tackling regulatory obstacles and putting appropriate infrastructure in place for potential military movements.
Source: Anadolu Agency via EuropeSays
Ukraine support through PURL
On Ukraine, Rutte praised the EU's decision to enable the Ukraine Support Loan to fund support to Ukraine through NATO's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, known as PURL. The programme continues to deliver essential military equipment to Ukraine, including air defence systems, NATO said.
Source: NATO
The Brussels meeting came a day after NATO's deputy chief told the Kyiv Security Forum that Ukraine urgently needs more air defence, with $10 billion of equipment already delivered through PURL and US foreign military sales. Read the earlier report
NATO and the European Union said they continue to enhance cooperation, building on their complementary strengths — work the alliance described as crucial to ensuring a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.
Source: NATO