- The Prime Minister will welcome the NATO Secretary General,
Jens Stoltenberg, to Downing Street today.
- Ahead of the UK’s Integrated Review refresh, the visit will
cement the UK’s ongoing support for NATO and discuss how the
alliance can evolve to meet continued and new threats.
- It comes as the Prime Minister announces the UK will send a
further 12,000 extreme cold weather sleeping kits and 150 heated
tents to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine as the temperatures
plummet in the country.
Prime Minister will host the NATO Secretary
General in Downing Street today (Wednesday) to discuss the future
of security and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic
area.
Jens Stoltenberg will be the
first international leader the Prime Minister has hosted at 10
Downing Street since he took office last
month.
The leaders are expected to
discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and how best allies can
support their courageous defence. They will also look to the
future of the NATO alliance and how we can ensure it is fighting
fit for generations to come.
The meeting will be an
opportunity for to discuss the UK’s ongoing update to the
Integrated Review. The update builds on the strategy published
last year which highlighted NATO’s central role in the UK’s
defence. The UK is the largest European contributor to NATO, and
has committed both our aircraft carrier and our nuclear
capability to the alliance.
Ahead of the visit, the Prime
Minister has announced the UK will provide a package of winter
kit to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to assist as they defend their
country in gruelling winter conditions. NATO allies have been at
the forefront of global support for Ukraine, after Russia’s
invasion permanently shifted the dial on both Euro-Atlantic
security and global relations.
Prime Minister said:
“NATO is the cornerstone
of our security, and the security of our allies. As the war in
Ukraine continues to rage, we must not take peace at home for
granted.
“I am determined the UK
will be the bedrock of NATO for generations to come. But in order
to face the challenges future we must evolve as an Alliance to
meet, and remain ahead of, the threat from our
adversaries.
“We must also continue
backing the Ukrainian people in their resistance to Putin’s
brutality. I’m pleased that UK-donated kit will be keeping the
Ukrainian Armed Forces warm and safe as they face a perilous
winter fighting for their country.”
The Secretary General will
arrive at Downing Street after visiting Ukrainian troops at Lydd
Army Camp as part of Operation Interflex – the training programme
for the Ukrainian Armed Forces pioneered by the UK. The recruits
are being put through their paces by UK military trainers,
ensuring they are front-line-ready as the Armed Forces of Ukraine
continue to push back Russian invaders.
The Secretary General’s visit
comes as the Prime Minister announces that the UK will send a
further 12,000 sleeping kits and 150 heated tents to help
Ukrainian troops fight through the winter.
The UK is set to deliver more
than 25,000 sets of extreme cold weather clothing by
mid-December, ensuring troops are able to operate and survive the
plunging temperatures in Ukraine.
The extreme cold weather kits
are in addition to more than 7,000 sets of normal cold weather
kit distributed to recruits on Operation
Interflex.
Defence Secretary said:
“With winter fast approaching,
this equipment will ensure that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are
able to operate effectively through the next few months.
Alongside our training programme and the provision of lethal aid,
it demonstrates our commitment to making sure that the basic
Ukrainian soldier is well trained, well equipped and given the
best possible chance to fight and determine their own
future.”
