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NATO Defence Ministers met in Brussels

Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces of the Czech Republic

16.2.2024

NATO strengthens its defence posture and shall continue supporting Ukraine in countering the Russian aggression - these were the key topics of the recent Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels The Ministers agreed that enhancement of military capabilities, due to Russia's aggression and expansionism, requires sufficient resourcing - above all defence budgets amounting to no less than 2% GDP. The Czech delegation was headed by Defence Minister Jana Černochová.

"For us, 2024 is the first year when the Czech defence budget is subject to a new Act on Defence Financing. Starting this year, we shall invest no less than 2% GDP into defence," said Minister Černochová and added that she informed the Allies of the promulgation of the Act and its effects.

The Ministers also discussed the ways to strengthen NATO's defence and deterrence. Minister Černochová apprised the NATO Allies of the Czech Republic's staunch commitment to assign sufficient forces for the contingency of a collective defence operation. "Our contribution to NATO defence now comprises a substantial part of the Czech Armed Forces," said the Minister.

The session also marked a milestone in the preparations of NATO Summit which shall be held in Washington D.C. in July 2024 and on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Alliance. The preparation process also includes an informal NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting which shall take place in Prague at the end of May.

Besides the North Atlantic Council meeting, a session of the NATO-Ukraine Council with the participation of Ukraine was held on the same date. The Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), which associates the countries supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, convened online the day before. This means that two out of three ministerial sessions were dedicated to Ukraine, which testifies to the significance the Alliance attributes to the fight against the aggressor. In the videoconference, Deputy Minister Daniel Blažkovec represented Minister Černochová.

"Ukraine is our first line of defence and we need to persevere in our support," Minister Černochová underscored. Apart from supplying materiel, the Czech Republic shall continue the training of Ukrainian service members as part of the European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM). "Within EUMAM, the Czech Republic has trained approximately 4,000 service members, which is roughly 10% of the EU total. We intend to train a similar number this year," she added.

Furthermore, Minister Černochová and her Canadian counterpart Minister Bill Blair signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Czech and Canadian Defence Ministry in Brussels. The document delineates the framework for cooperation between the Defence Ministries in many areas. The document also provides for strengthening cooperation on military assistance to Ukraine.

"Our countries share the responsibility for defence in the North Atlantic area, which is a challenging task, especially during an open aggression by Russia. Today we signed this Memorandum of Understanding that will bring our defence cooperation to a whole new level," said Minister Černochová.

The document supersedes the previous MoU from August 1994, which no longer answered the current needs of cooperation. It covers the areas for the two Ministries to cooperate on, such as training, research, education and logistics. The MoU also specifically addresses military support to Ukraine, as it allows for a closer cooperation in this field.