Preparing the new one NATO-EU Joint Declaration for Ukraine: Stoltenberg and Ursula von der Leyen

1. NATO, EU chiefs hold talk on war in Ukraine. Jens Stoltenberg, Ursula von der Leyen also discuss preparations for new NATO-EU Joint Declaration! NATO and EU chiefs met on Monday to discuss the war in Ukraine and preparation for a new deal on military cooperation.

They underlined that the “time has come to agree to a new Joint Declaration to take our partnership forward” as the cooperation between NATO and EU “contributes to security and stability.”

Russia’s war in Ukraine and the EU’s recent ambition to strengthen its defense capabilities have made it necessary to reassess NATO-EU relations after the last NATO-EU Joint Declaration.
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2. The time has come to sign a new EU-NATO declaration, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday after holding talks on the Ukrainian crisis with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.

"NATO-EU cooperation contributes to security and stability so we believe the time has come to agree a new Joint Declaration to take our partnership forward," Stoltenberg said on Twitter.

The EU and NATO were supposed to sign a cooperation declaration in late 2021 but the work on the document still continues. Its contents have not been disclosed.

On July 12, the EU expressed its readiness to forge ahead in negotiations with NATO on the joint declaration after the approval of the European defense strategy, the Strategic Compass, and the adoption of a new strategic concept at the Madrid summit.

The new European strategy provides for the formation of a strong EU Rapid Deployment Capacity of up to 5,000 troops for different types of crises, which will be able to operate independently from NATO. At the same time, EU representatives emphasize that NATO remains the main organization for ensuring the security in Europe.

Secretary General of the EU External Action Service Stefano Sannino said that the EU-NATO declaration should reflect the "geopolitical context," new areas of cooperation, including on hybrid threats, space, disruptive technologies, the impact of environment and climate change on security, the fight against disinformation and interference in internal affairs, as well as cooperation in the areas of defense planning.