NATO's Parlamentariske Forsamling 2022-23 (1. samling)
NPA Alm.del Bilag 1
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NATO DEFENCE MINISTERS’
MEETING
12-13 October 2022
Policy Brief
183 SPE 22 E | Original: English | October 2022
This Policy Brief is presented for information only and does not
represent the official view of the Assembly.
 NPA, Alm.del - 2022-23 (1. samling) - Bilag 1: NATO Defence Minister Meeting 12-13 October 2022
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183 SPE 22 E
NATO DEFENCE MINISTERS’ MEETING,
12-13 OCTOBER 2022:
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The most recent meeting of NATO Defence Ministers took place at NATO HQ in Brussels
on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 October.
Key items for discussion:
•
stepping up support for Ukraine;
•
strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence
with the necessary forces,
capabilities, and stockpiles;
•
protecting critical infrastructure,
with more presence, resilience, and intelligence
sharing; and
•
reviewing NATO’s ongoing operations and missions.
Other initiatives:
•
Defence Ministers from 14 NATO Allies and Finland signed a Letter of Intent on a
“European Sky Shield Initiative”
to create a European air and missile defence
system.
•
NATO Defence Ministers agreed to establish a
Review Board to govern the
responsible development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data
across
the NATO Enterprise.
I.
•
ALLIED AND NATO SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
Further support for Ukraine was the main theme on the first day of the Ministerial,
starting with a
meeting of the 50+ nations of the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact
Group,
followed by a working dinner at which the NATO Ministers were joined by their
colleagues from NATO Invitees Finland and Sweden as well as by Ukrainian Defence
Minister Reznikov.
Against the background of continuing Russian missile strikes in Ukraine, there was
broad agreement on the need to
continue to support Kyiv, especially with air
defence capabilities.
Following an earlier US announcement, several other Allies,
including Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK, pledged to
supply different kinds of missiles, drones and radars, including to support Ukraine’s
information gathering and logistics capabilities.
It was also confirmed that, as part of
NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package,
Ukraine was already receiving fuel, winter clothing and medical supplies, and would
soon be receiving counter-drone equipment. Speaking after the meetings, US Defence
Secretary Lloyd Austin said “we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that
they [the Ukrainians] have what’s required to be effective”.
NATO DETERRENCE AND DEFENCE
A further meeting of Allied Defence Ministers plus Invitees Finland and Sweden
focused on NATO's deterrence and defence and the implications of Russia's war in
Ukraine for Allied security. It was confirmed that Allies would
continue to increase
the number of high readiness forces
and that the eight NATO battlegroups across
the eastern part of the Alliance could be quickly scaled up to brigade size.
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II.
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183 SPE 22 E
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The NATO Secretary General recognised that Allies’ assistance to Ukraine had had an
impact on their own levels of
stockpiles of munitions and equipment.
Ministers
therefore discussed measures to increase stockpiles of munitions and equipment,
speed up production and strengthen the industrial base of their nations, including by
making better use of the NATO Defence Planning Process, both to defend themselves
and to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to prevail as a sovereign and independent
nation.
At a meeting of the
NATO Nuclear Planning Group,
gathering all 30 Allies minus
France, Ministers echoed the view previously expressed by NATO Secretary General
Jens Stoltenberg that both this NPG meeting and
nuclear exercise ‘Steadfast Noon’
the following week, were regular, long-planned events and not a response to
Moscow’s recent nuclear sabre rattling. “NATO's firm, predictable behaviour, our
military strength, is the best way to prevent escalation," he said. “If we now created the
grounds for any misunderstandings, miscalculations in Moscow about our willingness
to protect and defend all allies, we would increase the risk of escalation."
The NATO Secretary General reiterated that NATO had not seen any changes in
Russia’s nuclear posture but remained vigilant. During his press conference at the end
of the Defence Ministerial, he called
Russia’s nuclear rhetoric dangerous and
reckless.
He said that any use of nuclear weapons would fundamentally change the
nature of the war and that “they [Russia] know that if they use nuclear weapons
against Ukraine, it will have severe consequences. And they also know that a nuclear
war cannot be won and should never be fought.”
He also addressed a question regarding
Russia’s upcoming annual nuclear
exercise,
saying: “the Russian exercise, is an annual exercise. It's an exercise where
they test and exercise their nuclear forces. We will monitor that, as we always do. And
of course, we will remain vigilant not least in light of the veiled nuclear threats and the
dangerous nuclear rhetoric we have seen from the Russian side.”
PROTECTION OF ALLIED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Ministers addressed how to better protect critical infrastructure following the recent
sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. This includes
enhanced vigilance in the
Baltic and North Seas
with a doubling of NATO’s naval presence there,
increased
security around key installations and enhanced intelligence-sharing and
surveillance across all domains,
from space to undersea capabilities.
The Secretary General announced that senior resilience experts from all Allies would
meet at NATO for the first time this year and address the resilience of critical undersea
and energy infrastructure, including when it comes to cyber security.
NATO OPERATIONS AND MISSIONS
NATO’s missions and operations were the focus of a final Ministerial meeting of Allied
Defence Ministers together with EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Invitees
Finland and Sweden. It was an opportunity, in particular, to confirm
NATO’s
continuing strong commitment to its engagements in
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Kosovo
and
Iraq
as well as to underline the importance of strengthening and
deepening NATO-EU cooperation in today’s more unpredictable world.
Asked about the risk that Russia might veto the renewal of the
EUFOR Althea
mission
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the NATO Secretary General replied: “I will not speculate
about whether the mandate for Operation EUFOR Althea will be renewed or not. The
only thing I will say is that it is in nobody's interest that the mandate is not renewed,
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III.
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IV.
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183 SPE 22 E
because the EU presence there and with the support from NATO is helping to address
the challenges Bosnia-Herzegovina faces.”
Noting the recent hike in tensions between
Belgrade and Pristina,
he called on all
parties to “behave responsibly, show restraint and avoid violence. The EU-facilitated
dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is the only way forward. And KFOR stands
ready to intervene if required.”
OTHER INITIATIVES
At the start of the second day, Defence Ministers from 14 NATO Allies and Finland
signed a Letter of Intent for the development of a “European
Sky Shield Initiative”.
Spearheaded by Germany, the initiative aims to create a European air and missile
defence system through the common acquisition of air defence equipment and
missiles by European nations. This will strengthen NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile
Defence.
NATO Defence Ministers agreed to establish a
Review Board to govern the
responsible development and use of Artificial Intelligence
(AI) and data across the
NATO Enterprise. The Board’s first task will be to develop a user-friendly Responsible
AI certification standard, including quality controls and risk mitigation, that will help
align new AI and data projects with NATO’s
Principles of Responsible Use approved in
October 2021.
The Board will also serve as a unique platform to exchange best
practices, guide innovators and operational end-users.
During his press conference at the end of the Ministerial, the Secretary General said
he was looking forward to signing a
new Joint Declaration with the Presidents of
the EU Council and Commission in the near future.
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www.nato-pa.int
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