On the second day of a meeting in Brussels, the ministers will mark 75 years since the signing of the Washington Treaty, which established NATO on April 4, 1949, according to an announcement.
On Wednesday, NATO ministers agreed to start planning for a greater NATO role in coordinating security assistance and training for Ukraine, the Reuters news agency reported.
Under a proposal by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the alliance would take over some coordination work from a US-led coalition known as the Ramstein Group, according to Reuters.
"As we face a more dangerous world, the bond between Europe and North America has never been more important," Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.
He has also proposed a fund of EUR 100 billion to support Ukraine's military over five years, Reuters reported.
The planned financial package would be part of a broader initiative by NATO allies to support Ukraine's defence against Russia, as a USD 60 billion US military aid package is stalled in Congress, according to reports.
'We support the secretary-general’s efforts': Polish FM
Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told reporters on Wednesday that his country supported the plan for a new fund to help arm Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
"We support the secretary-general’s efforts," Sikorski said.
Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski (centre), British Foreign Secretary David Cameron (left), and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (right) converse during a meeting at NATO's Brussels headquarters on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Photo: EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET
Ukraine at "critical moment" in war with Russia: Blinken
On Thursday, NATO foreign ministers meeting at the alliance's Brussels headquarters are scheduled to "address Ukraine’s current and future needs at the NATO-Ukraine Council," attended by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Ukraine is at a "critical moment" in its war with Russia and urgently needs more Western support.
"It is absolutely essential to get Ukrainians what they continue to need to defend themselves, particularly when it comes to munitions and air defences," Blinken told reporters during a visit to France, as cited by Reuters.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 771 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters