NATO Parliamentary Assembly Backs Accelerated Support for Ukraine

Vilnius – The NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Saturday called for faster, targeted support for Ukraine in the fifth year of its resistance to Russia’s brutal and illegal full-scale invasion.  

“We must accelerate and increase our political, economic, financial and military support to Ukraine,” said NATO PA President Marcos Perestrello. “Ukraine needs the means to defend its people, protect its infrastructure, uphold its sovereignty and continue to push back against aggression—now, not months from now.” 

Perestrello spoke at a hearing of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council (UNIC), held in Vilnius on the opening day of the NATO PA’s annual Spring session. 

Support for Ukraine to secure a free, sovereign and prosperous future is a major theme of the three-day session in the Lithuanian capital. The meeting also focused on enabling NATO to achieve a quantum leap in collective defence while bolstering protection of strategic assets and democratic systems in the face of hybrid threats. 

Attended by over 230 lawmakers from Alliance and partner nations, the Vilnius session comes ahead of a summit of NATO leaders scheduled for 7-8 July in Ankara. 

Support for Ukraine must be placed on sustainable long-term footing, Perestrello said.  All Allies should contribute their fair share, with Europe and Canada taking the lead. 

“We must make defence cooperation faster, simpler, and more effective. And we must ramp up production,” he insisted. “This is not the moment for short-term, reactive measures. This is the moment for sustained, coordinated action—action that strengthens Ukraine not only today, but for the long term. And in doing so, strengthens the Alliance as well.” 

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys was among speakers expressing solidarity with Romania after a Russian drone hit an apartment block there on Friday. He warned that Moscow is increasingly seeking to destabilise, threaten and test NATO’s resilience and resolve. 

“We must continue working hard on Russia’s containment across all domains,” Budrys told the Assembly. “It is not simply our duty and responsibility – it is our core mission.”  

In a series of hearings, legislators said the Alliance must learn the lessons of the war in Ukraine to strengthen collective defence, guaranteeing NATO meets its target of spending 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence and security-related requirements; and developing fairer and more effective defence burden-sharing between European and North American Allies. 

“Russia’s war against Ukraine has made increasing defence spending a strategic necessity for all of us,” said Dutch Senator Bart Kroon. “More investment is needed to rebuild our armed forces and enhance infrastructure to support our military operations.” 

The Assembly debated how NATO should learn from Ukraine’s experience defending critical energy security and building national energy resilience; safeguard NATO’s technological edge as the Ukraine war highlights the fast-changing nature of defence requirements; and follow Ukraine’s lead in developing tech-savvy and cost-effective air defences. 

“The Alliance is missing out on innovative technologies and capabilities that enhance our deterrence and defence posture,” cautioned Luxembourg member Sven Clement. “We must adapt our regulations, procurement and ... culture to keep pace.” 

A presentation by Solomiia Bobrovska, Deputy Chair of the Ukrainian Delegation to the NATO PA, examined lessons for NATO from Ukraine’s adaptation of defence procurement procedures to keep pace with wartime demands.  

She emphasised the crucial role for parliaments in ensuring defence requirements are met rapidly, streamlining processes while maintaining democratic oversight; and facilitating feedback between forces on the frontline, defence industry and political decision-makers.