At NATO summit, unity of allies to be no less important than increasing defense spending – Kallas

This was stated in Strasbourg by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, who spoke at a plenary session of the European Parliament dedicated to preparing for the NATO summit in The Hague, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Russia is a threat to global security. During the Cold War, the United States and its allies far outclassed the Soviet Union, and it won them the Cold War. Today, against NATO and the EU, Russia doesn’t stand a chance. But we must stick together. When NATO leaders meet next week, keeping unity in the Alliance is as much a priority as spending more on defense,” Kallas noted.

“What unites us, what must keep uniting us is our goal to keep our citizens safe. This is a goal that we share with every single one of our NATO Allies, including the United States,” the EU High Representative added.

She noted that Russia is currently a threat to the entire world. In this context, Kallas recalled the Kremlin’s support for the Assad regime, which used chemical weapons against the people of Syria, Russia’s involvement in training and arming mercenaries in the Sahel region and Sudan, and the use of the Russian “shadow fleet” to smuggle weapons into Libya in breach of the international embargo.

“Europe’s will to act together is real. Over the past seven decades, we have built a common market, a strong European economy, and an unbreakable European spirit… Tough times require tough resolve, and Europe has always shown this when it needed to,” the EU High Representative added.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the NATO summit will be held on June 24-25 in The Hague. Allied leaders will consider three main issues – increasing defense spending, building the capabilities of the defense industries, and continuing support for Ukraine.