Doorstep statement

Good afternoon.

Today and tomorrow, NATO Defence Ministers will meet, and we will meet discuss how we will take forward the decisions we made at the Summit in Warsaw.

Both on how to increase NATO’s deterrence and defence, and also on how to project stability beyond our borders.

We will mark progress in plans for more NATO presence in the eastern part of our Alliance, and also in the Black Sea region.

And we will discuss Russia’s recent military activity along our borders.

Close to our borders, Russia continues its assertive military posturing.

Including with massive, non-notice exercises.

This month alone, Russia has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad and suspended a weapons-grade plutonium agreement with the United States.

And Russia continues to destabilise eastern Ukraine with military and financial support for the separatists.

These moves do not lower tensions or restore predictability to our relations.

On NATO’s southern neighbourhood, Russia’s continued support for the Assad regime in Syria is also deeply troubling.

Russia has resumed the bombing of Aleppo which is exacerbating a humanitarian catastrophe.

Men, women and children are dying every day.

Killed by disgraceful attacks on their homes and even their hospitals.

And I call on Russia to show real efforts to restore a cessation of hostilities and allow humanitarian access to Aleppo.

The deployment of the Kuznetsov carrier group to the Eastern Mediterranean raises concerns that these assaults could increase.

We need to see an end to indiscriminate attacks.

Dialogue is especially important when tensions run high.

And NATO is committed to pursuing both strong defence and dialogue with Russia.

Later today, we will take decisions on our planned training and capacity-building in Iraq.

We will consider the future of our Aegean deployment.

And decide on a possible maritime role for NATO in the Central Mediterranean, which could support the EU’s Operation Sophia.

Tomorrow we will meet with EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and discuss how to enhance NATO-EU cooperation even more.

Together, we are stronger, more capable of tackling the shared challenges we face.

Just over three months ago at the Warsaw Summit, we can now conclude and convey a clear message that we are on the right track.

We are implementing decisions we made at the Summit.

And implementing decisions which will keep our people safe in a more dangerous world.

And with this, I’m ready to take your questions.