WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:02.231 Thank you . I have time for a couple of 00:02.231 --> 00:04.929 questions . Politico . Mm 00:09.020 --> 00:10.853 Thank you very much . I have two 00:10.853 --> 00:12.798 questions . First of all , for the 00:12.798 --> 00:14.853 Secretary General , we've heard from 00:14.853 --> 00:16.979 several NATO allies that they have 00:16.989 --> 00:19.909 agreed to train Ukrainians in flying 00:19.920 --> 00:22.729 F-16s . But do you think that allies 00:22.739 --> 00:25.229 should speed up and make the actual 00:25.239 --> 00:28.110 decision to , to deliver F-16s to 00:28.120 --> 00:30.620 Ukraine soon for the Prime Minister ? 00:30.670 --> 00:33.500 Are you concerned that continued delays 00:33.509 --> 00:35.869 to Sweden's accession to the alliance 00:35.880 --> 00:38.950 could negatively impact the cohesion of 00:38.959 --> 00:41.389 nato's defense planning in the North ? 00:41.400 --> 00:43.456 Is that something that worries you ? 00:43.456 --> 00:45.909 Thank you . First of all , on the 00:45.919 --> 00:47.975 training of the Ukrainian pilots , I 00:47.975 --> 00:49.975 think it demonstrates that over the 00:49.975 --> 00:53.380 last months , we have really made 00:53.389 --> 00:56.479 important steps in strengthening and 00:56.490 --> 01:00.090 stepping up our support because just 01:00.099 --> 01:01.821 over the last months , we have 01:01.821 --> 01:03.877 delivered a lot of heavy armor , not 01:03.877 --> 01:05.877 least the modern battle tanks , the 01:05.877 --> 01:07.800 leopards , the Abrahams and the 01:07.809 --> 01:11.489 challengers . Then the last 01:11.500 --> 01:13.720 weeks , we have seen how the United 01:13.730 --> 01:17.370 Kingdom are delivering or is delivering 01:17.639 --> 01:20.730 advanced long range cruise missiles 01:20.739 --> 01:23.410 which are already making an important 01:23.419 --> 01:25.419 difference on the battlefield . And 01:25.419 --> 01:27.197 then the last days , we had the 01:27.197 --> 01:29.252 announcement that several allies are 01:29.252 --> 01:31.599 going to start training of Ukrainian 01:31.610 --> 01:33.809 pilots . Of course , that is only 01:33.819 --> 01:37.430 meaningful because at some stage , then 01:37.440 --> 01:39.384 we have the option to also deliver 01:39.384 --> 01:42.839 planes . But when that will happen and 01:42.849 --> 01:44.682 how and so on that remains to be 01:44.682 --> 01:48.580 decided . I think it's the wise thing 01:48.589 --> 01:51.279 to do is to do this step wise and , and 01:51.290 --> 01:54.709 to start the training and then 01:54.720 --> 01:57.220 depending on how the war evolves and 01:57.230 --> 02:00.379 how the situation on the ground evolves , 02:00.389 --> 02:04.000 then final decisions will be made on 02:04.010 --> 02:07.599 the issue of delivering planes . Let me 02:07.610 --> 02:09.721 add one more thing on the planes that 02:09.721 --> 02:11.759 this is also relevant and it 02:11.768 --> 02:13.879 demonstrates the long term commitment 02:13.998 --> 02:17.078 because when the war ends , it is 02:17.089 --> 02:21.078 important to ensure that Ukraine has 02:21.089 --> 02:23.298 the capabilities , the military 02:23.309 --> 02:26.339 strength to deter against further 02:26.438 --> 02:28.660 action . We need to prevent the history 02:28.660 --> 02:31.529 from repeating itself . We need to 02:31.539 --> 02:33.968 prevent President Putin from being able 02:33.979 --> 02:36.035 to continue to chip away at European 02:36.035 --> 02:38.250 security and then to strengthen the 02:38.259 --> 02:40.203 Ukrainian armed forces , including 02:40.203 --> 02:43.070 their air forces will be an important 02:43.080 --> 02:44.970 part of that . And then fourth 02:44.979 --> 02:48.339 generation standard aircraft can be a 02:48.350 --> 02:52.039 part of that . So when this will happen , 02:52.050 --> 02:54.809 it's too early to say . But even if it 02:54.820 --> 02:58.529 happens after the war , 02:58.690 --> 03:01.289 of course , it happens in the war , it 03:01.300 --> 03:03.411 will help them in their war efforts . 03:03.411 --> 03:05.633 Now , if it happens later , depending , 03:05.633 --> 03:07.633 of course on when the war ends , it 03:07.633 --> 03:09.830 will be useful regardless . 03:11.750 --> 03:13.694 Thank you very much regarding your 03:13.694 --> 03:16.520 question . I am absolutely confident 03:16.529 --> 03:20.419 that Sweden will become the 32nd NATO 03:20.429 --> 03:23.600 member state . And the open question is 03:23.610 --> 03:26.929 exactly when that final decision or the 03:26.940 --> 03:30.809 ratification will occur . But this , I 03:30.820 --> 03:34.820 don't feel that this in any way would 03:34.830 --> 03:38.610 hamper or is hampering nato's plans 03:38.899 --> 03:40.899 is making plans . NATO knows that 03:40.910 --> 03:43.559 Sweden will be a member and I am 03:43.570 --> 03:45.660 confident that this will happen . 03:47.440 --> 03:49.149 Channel for Ukraine . 03:51.039 --> 03:54.190 President said that NATO is considering 03:54.199 --> 03:56.449 signing a security guarantee for 03:56.460 --> 03:58.869 Ukraine based on Israel model during 03:58.880 --> 04:01.470 the summit . Could you comment on this ? 04:02.949 --> 04:06.759 Well , when the war ends , we 04:06.770 --> 04:09.410 need to find ways to ensure that 04:09.419 --> 04:11.530 history doesn't repeat itself because 04:11.530 --> 04:14.229 we all know that this war didn't start 04:14.240 --> 04:17.790 in February last year , it started in 04:17.910 --> 04:21.660 2014 when Russia illegally annexed 04:21.670 --> 04:24.040 Crimea and then some few months later , 04:24.140 --> 04:27.500 went into East and on bus and then the 04:27.510 --> 04:31.089 full fledge invasion last year . And 04:31.100 --> 04:33.267 this is also part of a broader pattern 04:33.267 --> 04:36.910 where we see how Russia has been 04:36.920 --> 04:38.864 responsible for aggressive actions 04:38.864 --> 04:40.753 against other neighbors including 04:40.753 --> 04:44.589 Georgia in 2008 . So wars 04:44.600 --> 04:47.109 are by nature unpredictable . No one 04:47.119 --> 04:49.630 can tell today when and how this war 04:49.640 --> 04:52.059 ends . But what is important is that 04:52.070 --> 04:54.959 when it ends , that we ensure that 04:55.450 --> 04:58.989 it stops and it's not only a pause 04:59.000 --> 05:02.369 before a new aggressive war by Russia 05:02.380 --> 05:05.519 against Ukraine , and therefore there 05:05.529 --> 05:07.589 is the need to strengthen their 05:07.839 --> 05:11.059 Ukraine's own deterrence and defense 05:11.619 --> 05:14.480 and of course different capabilities . 05:14.489 --> 05:16.600 Some of them we already discussed can 05:16.600 --> 05:18.869 be part of that long term commitment . 05:18.880 --> 05:20.950 And also what does when it comes to 05:21.890 --> 05:25.279 helping the transition from Soviet 05:25.290 --> 05:29.279 era to NATO era to NATO standards and 05:29.290 --> 05:31.980 doctrines can be part of strengthening 05:31.989 --> 05:34.267 Ukraine's ability to defend themselves . 05:35.109 --> 05:37.679 I also expect at the summit that allies 05:37.690 --> 05:39.634 will agree a multi year package to 05:39.634 --> 05:42.179 enable this transition and full 05:42.190 --> 05:44.412 interoperability with NATO , which will 05:44.412 --> 05:46.500 then help to provide the security . 05:46.510 --> 05:50.260 Ukraine needs to prevent further 05:50.269 --> 05:52.491 aggression . And for instance , the key 05:52.491 --> 05:54.658 security compact is focusing very much 05:54.658 --> 05:58.649 on how to build Ukraine's own defense 05:58.660 --> 06:01.709 and security . That's part of that . 06:02.019 --> 06:04.109 Then in addition to what we do to 06:04.119 --> 06:06.630 support Ukrainians , enabling them to 06:06.640 --> 06:08.829 defend themselves , there will also be 06:08.839 --> 06:12.609 a discussion about frameworks for 06:12.619 --> 06:14.839 Ukraine . I think it's a bit early to 06:14.850 --> 06:17.399 security frameworks for Ukraine . It's 06:17.410 --> 06:20.200 too early to conclude . Of course , 06:20.209 --> 06:22.609 these issues will be discussed at the 06:23.130 --> 06:25.519 summit , but I don't expect any final 06:25.529 --> 06:27.549 conclusions in the midst of a war . 06:29.570 --> 06:31.626 Thank you very much . This concludes 06:31.626 --> 06:33.626 this press conference . Thank you . 06:35.540 --> 06:38.510 OK . Thank you so much and all the best .