Policy Brief / NATO Summit

EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT
OF NATO HEADS OF STATE
AND GOVERNMENT
24 March 2022
Policy Brief
074 SPE 22 E | Original: English | March 2022
This Policy Brief is presented for information only and does not
represent the official view of the Assembly.
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NPA Alm.del - Bilag 22
NATO's Parlamentariske Forsamling 2021-22
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EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT OF NATO HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT,
24 MARCH 2022:
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Agenda
• NATO’s response to Russia’s war
• Support for Ukraine
• NATO long-term transformation in the wake of Russia’s war
Decisions
• Allied leaders adopted a statement on support for Ukraine and NATO’s response
to Russia’s war. They agreed to:
o Provide additional assistance to Ukraine, including for cybersecurity and
protection against CBRN threats
o Approve deployment of four additional battlegroups to the Alliance’s East
(Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia)
o Reset NATO deterrence and defence for the long term
o Accelerate efforts to meet the Defence Investment Pledge
o Step up support to other partners at risk from Russian threats and
interference
Other main messages:
• Any use by Russia of a chemical or biological weapon would be unacceptable and
result in severe consequences.
• Called on China to refrain from supporting Russia’s war effort
• Called on Belarus to stop acting as an accomplice to Putin’s invasion
• Reaffirmed strong commitment to NATO’s Open Door policy
Additional points
• Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the NATO Summit.
• Allies extended the mandate of NATO Secretary General (SG) Jens Stoltenberg until
30 September 2023.
• This was the second NATO Summit in a month in response to Russia’s war against
Ukraine.
• The NATO Summit was immediately followed by G7 and EU Summits.
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I. RUSSIA’S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE
A. WHAT RUSSIA’S WAR MEANS
• Allied leaders agreed that Russia’s war:
o presents the gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades;
o threatens global security because it seeks to destroy the foundations of
international security and stability;
o presents a fundamental challenge to the Allied values and norms.
• NATO SG:
o “NATO’s security environment has fundamentally changed. For the long
haul.”
o “Russia has walked away from the NATO-Russia Founding Act. They have
violated it again and again.
B. WHAT RUSSIA MUST DO
• Allied leaders agreed that Russia must:
o allow humanitarian access and safe passage for civilians in besieged cities;
o immediately implement a ceasefire;
o constructively engage in credible negotiations; and
o move towards a sustainable ceasefire followed by a complete withdrawal;
o stop its escalatory rhetoric.
C. WHAT ALLIES WILL CONTINUE TO DO VIS-À-VIS RUSSIA
• Allied leaders made clear that they will continue to:
o hold accountable those responsible for violations of humanitarian and
international law, including war crimes;
o counter Russia’s lies and expose fabricated narratives or manufactured “false
flag” operations;
o impose massive sanctions and heavy political costs;
o work in coordination with relevant stakeholders and other international
organizations, including the European Union; and
o maintain the closest transatlantic coordination.
D. WHAT BELARUS MUST DO
• Allied leaders called upon Belarus to end its complicity.
• NATO SG: “Belarus allowed its territory to be used as a ground for mobilising and
amassing troops that invaded Ukraine. And Belarus continues to enable the invasion
by providing the territory, airfields, military infrastructure, bases, but also by allowing
Russia to use Belarusian airspace to launch attacks […].”
E. WHAT CHINA MUST DO
• Allied leaders noted their concern about recent public comments by China.
• Allied leaders called upon China to
o uphold the international order, including the principles of sovereignty and
territorial integrity;
o abstain from supporting Russia’s war effort;
o refrain from any action that helps Russia circumvent sanctions;
o cease amplifying false narratives; and
o promote a peaceful resolution.
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• NATO SG Stoltenberg: “[…] for NATO, it is of particular concern that China now for
the first time has questioned some of the key principles of our security, including
the right for every nation in Europe to choose its own path. Because in the joint
statement between President Xi and President Putin, they actually, together, stated
that they are against any further enlargement of NATO and that is new.”
II. SUPPORTING UKRAINE AND DETERRING AND PREVENTING ESCALATION
A. PRESIDENT ZELENSKY’S ADDRESS
• In his address, President Zelenskyy:
o thanked Allies for their support;
o regretted NATO has not given a “clear answer” to his request for a no-fly zone and
“has yet to show what the Alliance can do to save people”;
o urged Allies to provide military assistance to Ukraine without restrictions;
specifically, he called on Allies to provide “1%” of all Allied planes and tanks, as
well as MLRS rocket systems, anti-ship weapons and means of air defence;
o claimed Russia used phosphorous bombs earlier in the day;
o said Ukrainian forces had clearly demonstrated they met NATO standards;
o warned that Russia would likely extend its aggression beyond Ukraine.
B. NATO SUPPORT
1) Ongoing Political and Practical Support
• Political support: Allied leaders:
o offered their full solidarity;
o reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and
territorial integrity, and Ukraine’s right to self-defence under the UN Charter;
o support Ukraine’s efforts to achieve peace, including by individual Allies who
are weighing on Russia.
• Practical support: NATO and Allies:
o have provided extensive support since 2014, especially in terms of training,
military capabilities and capacities as well as resilience;
o have further stepped up practical support over the last month, including anti-
tank and air defence systems, and drones, which “are proving highly effective”
according to the NATO SG
o provide extensive financial and humanitarian support; and
o host millions of refugees.
2) Additional support for Ukraine
• Allied leaders decided:
o to provide more assistance, including for cybersecurity and protection
against threats of a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear nature,
which could include detection, protection, and medical supplies, as well as training
for decontamination and crisis management; and
o increase support further at the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in April.
C. DETERRING THE THREAT OF CBRN WEAPONS USE
• Allied leaders made clear that:
o the use of a chemical or biological weapon would be unacceptable and result
in severe consequences; and
o escalatory rhetoric is irresponsible and destabilising.
• Allied leaders agreed to both provide assistance to Ukraine against CBRN threats
and enhance Allied CBRN defences.
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• NATO SG:
o “Any use of chemical weapons will totally change the nature of the conflict. It
will be a blatant violation of international law and it will have widespread
consequences and, of course, be extremely dangerous.” He warned of the risk
that an attack using chemical or biological weapons would spill over and
affect populations in NATO countries.
o “Russia must stop its nuclear sabre-rattling. […] a nuclear war cannot be won
and should never be fought.”
D. PREVENTING ESCALATION: NO NO-FLY ZONE; NO DEPLOYMENT IN UKRAINE
• NATO SG Stoltenberg:
o “We are determined to do all we can to support Ukraine. […] At the same time, we
have a responsibility to ensure the conflict does not escalate further.
Because this would be even more dangerous and more devastating.”
o This is why “Allies have declared that we will not deploy troops on the ground
in Ukraine because the only way to do that is to be prepared to engage in full
conflict with Russian troops”
o “[…] we are not going to impose a no-fly zone because we believe that, that
will most likely trigger a full-fledged war between NATO and Russia.”
III. NATO TRANSFORMATION: DEFENCE, DETERRENCE & DEFENCE INVESTMENT
A. REAFFIRMING ARTICLE 5
• Allied leaders made crystal clear:
o their unity and resolve to protect and defend the security of Allied
populations and every inch of Allied territory under the iron-clad Article 5,
across all domains and with a 360-degree approach; and
o that NATO’s actions are preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory
B. MEASURES ALREADY IMPLEMENTED
• Allies have already:
o increased defence investment over the last few years and in the context of this
grave crisis;
o activated NATO’s defence plans;
o deployed elements of the NATO Response Force; and
o placed 40,000 troops on NATO’s eastern flank under NATO command, along
with significant air and naval assets.
C. ADDITIONAL MEASURES
• Allied leaders decided to:
o stand up four additional multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary,
Romania, and Slovakia;
o accelerate NATO’s transformation for a more dangerous strategic reality,
including through the new Strategic Concept;
o “reset” NATO’s longer term deterrence and defence posture;
o further develop the full range of ready forces and capabilities, including
through enhanced exercises, increasing the resilience of societies and
infrastructure, notably in the cyber domain;
o stand ready to impose costs on those who harm Allies in cyberspace;
o further increase preparedness and readiness for chemical, biological,
radiological and nuclear threats;
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o accelerate efforts to fulfil Allied commitment to the Defence Investment
Pledge in its entirety; and
o take further decisions on NATO’s defence and deterrence posture and
defence investment at the NATO Summit in June in Madrid.
IV. REAFFIRMATION OF THE OPEN DOOR POLICY AND SUPPORT TO PARTNERS
AT RISK
• Allied leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to NATO’s Open Door policy
• Allied leaders agreed to increase support to partners affected by Russian threats
and interference, including Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on partner
requests. Concrete proposals will be put to NATO Foreign Minsters in April.
Statement / Press Conferences / Press releases
24 March 2022
Statement by NATO Heads of State and Government
Press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the extraordinary
Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government
North Atlantic Council extends mandate of the Secretary General
Allies stand strong together in NATO in the face of the biggest security threat in a generation
The NATO leaders will address the need for a reset of Allied deterrence and defence
23 March 2022
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Press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previewing the extraordinary
Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government
NATO leaders will decide on next steps to protect and defend all Allies
______________
www.nato-pa.int


Unofficial translation
Source: Office of the President of Ukraine
🇺🇦 Speech by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
at the NATO Summit
As of March 24, 2022
Dear attendees!
I am addressing you from Kyiv, our capital, which has been fighting for a month
already, just as our entire state.
Yes, it is true - we are not in the Alliance. Not in the most powerful defense union
in the world. Not one of the 30 states under the umbrella of joint protection. Under
the umbrella of Article 5. It feels like we are in the "gray zone". Between the West
and Russia. But we defend all our common values. And we are bright people! And
we have been defending all these values for a month now!
A month of heroic resistance. A month of the darkest suffering.
A month of unpunished destruction of the peaceful state, and with it - the whole
architecture of global security. All this is before the eyes of the whole world.
Over the decades, Russia has accumulated considerable resources, military
resources, manpower and equipment, air bombs, missiles.
They invested crazy money in death while the world invested in life. But Ukraine is
holding on bravely! At the cost of thousands of lives. At the cost of destroyed cities.
At the cost of almost ten million migrants. Three and a half of them are already in
your territories, in the territories of NATO countries. I am grateful for the support of
these people. And people, unfortunately, continue to leave their homes. They are
fleeing the terror that the occupiers brought with them.
The very first hours of the invasion meant brutal missile strikes for us. During the
month of the war, Russia fired more than a thousand different missiles at our cities.
Made hundreds of air raids.
On February 24, I addressed you with a perfectly clear, logical request to help close
our skies. In any format. Protect our people from Russian bombs and missiles. We
did not hear a clear answer. Ukraine does not have powerful anti-missile weapons,
and has a much smaller aircraft fleet than Russia. Therefore, their advantage in the
sky is like the use of weapons of mass destruction.
And you see the consequences today - how many people were killed, how many
peaceful cities were destroyed.
The Ukrainian army has been resisting for a month in unequal conditions! And I
have been repeating the same thing for a month now. To save people and our cities,
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NATO's Parlamentariske Forsamling 2021-22
Unofficial translation
Ukraine needs military assistance - without restrictions. As Russia uses without
restrictions its entire arsenal against us. Destroys all living things. Any objects - from
houses to churches, from food warehouses to universities, from bridges to hospitals.
Ukraine asked for your planes. So that we do not lose so many people. And you have
thousands of fighter jets! But we haven't been given any yet.
We asked for tanks. So that we can unblock our cities that are now dying - Mariupol,
Berdyansk, Melitopol, others. Cities where Russia is keeping hundreds of thousands
of people hostage and artificially creating famine - no water, no food, nothing there.
You have at least 20,000 tanks! Ukraine asked for a percent, one percent of all your
tanks to be given or sold to us! But we do not have a clear answer yet... The worst
thing during the war is not having clear answers to requests for help.
Ukraine never wanted this war. And does not want to fight for years. We just want
to save our people. We want to survive! Just survive! Like any nation, we have the
right to it. The right to life. The right to this one percent.
And I do not blame NATO - I want to be clear. You are not guilty. It's not your
missiles, it's not your bombs that are destroying our cities. This morning, by the way,
there were phosphorus bombs. Phosphorus Russian bombs. Adults were killed again
and children were killed again. I just want you to know that the Alliance can still
prevent the deaths of Ukrainians from Russian strikes, from Russian occupation, by
providing us with all the weapons we need.
Yes, we are not in the Alliance. And I do not make these claims. But Ukrainians
never thought that the Alliance and the Allies were different.
That in matters of life and death you can be a force separately, but together - no.
That NATO may be afraid of Russia's actions. I am sure you already understand that
Russia does not intend to stop in Ukraine. Does not intend and will not. It wants to
go further.
Against the eastern members of NATO. The Baltic states, Poland - that's for sure.
Will NATO then stop thinking about it, worrying about how Russia will react? Who
can be sure of that? And do you have confidence that Article 5 can work?
"Budapest" hasn’t worked for us already. Our Budapest Memorandum. Has not
worked for peace in Ukraine.
And I will tell you honestly - today Budapest is not working for peace in Ukraine as
well. Yes, we receive help from individual members of the Alliance. I am very
grateful. Ukrainians are sincerely grateful for this. To each of you who gives what
you have, supporting us.
But what about the Alliance? The question of Article 5 is fundamental. I just want
you to know what we think about it. And I sincerely wish you that we are wrong in
our assessments and in our doubts. I sincerely wish that you actually have a very
strong Alliance. Because if we are wrong, the world is safe. But if we are at least
one percent right, I ask you to reconsider your attitude. Your own estimates. And
really take care of security, security in Europe and, consequently, in the world.
Unofficial translation
You can give us one percent of all your aircraft. One percent of all your tanks. One
percent! We can't just buy it. Such a supply directly depends only on NATO's
decisions, on political decisions, by the way.
MLRS systems. Anti-ship weapons. Means of air defense. Is it possible to survive
such a war without it?
So when it's finally available, it will give us and you as well, one hundred percent
security. And we need one. And the only thing I demand from you… After such a
month of war. This is a request for the sake of our military. After such a war against
Russia ... Never, please, never tell us again that our army does not meet NATO
standards.
We have shown what our standards are capable of. And how much we can give to
the common security in Europe and the world. How much we can do to protect
against aggression against everything we value, everything you value. But NATO
has yet to show what the Alliance can do to save people. To show that this is truly
the most powerful defense union in the world. And the world is waiting. And
Ukraine is very much waiting. Waiting for real actions. Real security guarantees.
From those whose word is trustworthy. And whose actions can keep the peace.
Truly. All offers are on the table. Our needs are on the table. We need peace
immediately. The answers are up to you.
I am thankful to those who help us! Thank you!
Glory to Ukraine!
Government Office for the Coordination
of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration