Chichester: The United Kingdom and the Nordic-Baltic States vowed Tuesday continued backing to Ukraine to achieve a lasting peace with credible security guarantees.
According to Kuwait News Agency, this commitment was made during a meeting attended by ministers, state secretaries, and senior representatives from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The meeting took place in the margins of the Aurora Forum at Goodwood House, Chichester.
UK Minister for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, chaired a roundtable with Nordic-Baltic counterparts to discuss support for Ukraine, security in Northern Europe, and tackling hybrid threats. Ministers agreed on the necessity of ongoing support for Ukraine to achieve a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace with credible security guarantees, emphasizing the importance of placing Ukraine in the strongest possible position.
They concluded that this support would be realized by increasing military aid to Ukraine and leveraging their own defence industries while also purchasing directly from Ukraine's defence industry. This approach aims to meet urgent needs and strengthen cooperation between European and Ukrainian industries.
The ministers also highlighted the importance of encouraging other nations to increase their support. They emphasized that maintaining Western unity is crucial and underscored that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine's involvement.
Furthermore, the ministers addressed the significant and direct threat posed by Russia against NATO, focusing on efforts to contest and constrain Russian aggression and the Russian war economy. This includes implementing ambitious sanctions and wider efforts to limit Russia's energy revenues.
The meeting also praised the work of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) and NATO in monitoring suspected shadow vessels, particularly through Operation Nordic Warden. Ministers reaffirmed the need to hold Russia accountable and to enhance global efforts to continue its international isolation.
Discussions also covered recent instances of subsea infrastructure damage in the Baltic Sea Region, with ministers welcoming NATO's Baltic Sentry activity, which provides reassurance to Baltic states. They also addressed hybrid incidents in the region and applauded initiatives, including those by NATO, to build resilience against hybrid threats, such as cyber threats and foreign information manipulation.
The ministers also explored external threats to the broader European region. The Aurora Forum serves as an independent annual platform that brings together governments, businesses, and civil society from the UK and Nordic-Baltic states. Today's roundtable marked the first gathering of ministers, state secretaries, and senior representatives in this format to discuss priorities such as Northern European security, trade, technology, and the energy transition.