ATHENS 

NATO will work more closely with Ukraine’s armed forces without being party to the ongoing war, said the alliance’s chief on Friday.

“We will increase our support to Ukraine for the long haul, reinforce our collective defense, and deepen our global partnerships,” Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Washington, adding that important decisions will be taken at the alliance’s three-day summit in the US capital next week.

Calling support for Ukraine the most urgent task the alliance will address during the summit, he said: “I expect heads of state and government will agree a substantial package for Ukraine.”

More specifically, the alliance will take over the coordination and provision of most international security assistance, he noted, adding: “This will not make NATO a party to the conflict. But it will enhance Ukraine’s self-defense.”

In addition, NATO members will continue to provide Ukraine with the arms that it needs, including immediate needs for air-defense systems and ammunition, and deepen the interoperability and work to build a Ukrainian defense industry, according to Stoltenberg.

“All the work we are doing together is making Ukraine stronger, more interoperable, and better prepared than ever to join our alliance,” he said.

Stoltenberg also remarked that since 2014, when Russian attacks on eastern Ukraine and Crimea began – ahead of the current war, which started in 2022 – the alliance’s capabilities and readiness have significantly improved.

Asserting that Iran and North Korea help Russian war efforts by providing drones and ammunition and that China is propping Russia up economically, he said, “The closer that authoritarian actors align, the more important it is that we work closely with our friends in the Indo-Pacific.”

Stoltenberg is due to step down as NATO chief this fall, but his successor, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, is reportedly on the same page as Stoltenberg on the Russia-Ukraine war.​​​​​​​