NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on Russia's war against Ukraine, situation in Middle East begins

Ukrinform reports.

According to the publication, the main topics of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers will be Russia's war against Ukraine, the fighting in the Gaza Strip and the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East as a whole, as well as growing strategic competition and challenges from China.

On Wednesday, November 29, the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of foreign ministers is scheduled. Prior to the meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will make a joint statement.

The day before, Stoltenberg said that during the meeting in Brussels, NATO allies would "reaffirm their long-term support" of Ukraine and "agree on recommendations for priority reforms in Ukraine, while continuing to support Kyiv on its path to NATO membership."

The NATO Secretary General also called for a further cessation of hostilities in Gaza and demanded that Iran "rein in its proxies" after a series of strikes on US forces in Iraq and Syria. 

Regarding Russia, Stoltenberg warned that Moscow seeks to destabilize democratic countries of the Alliance through cyberattacks and energy blackmail, as well as by using migrants against Finland.

According to him, the foreign ministers will also discuss the situation in the Western Balkans. In this regard, Stoltenberg said that NATO is considering a permanent increase in the number of its troops in the region to maintain peace.

The NATO Secretary General also called on Turkey and Hungary to complete the process of ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO as soon as possible.

In particular, at the meeting in Brussels, Allies will discuss the challenges posed by China. The Secretary General welcomed the recent discussions between China and Allies, emphasizing that "dialogue is important". 

"China is not an adversary, but Beijing's actions challenge our security and we must work together to respond," he said.

• On November 27, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine would become a NATO member, but all allies agree that joining the Alliance during the war is impossible.