On 10 September, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Olexandr Mischenko met with newly appointed Deputy NATO Senior Representative in Ukraine, Director of the NATO Representation in Ukraine Tanya Hartman.

During the meeting, the Deputy Minister briefed Ms. Hartman on the security situation, stressing that Russia continues to carry out relentless strikes against civilian infrastructure, resulting in deaths and the destruction of residential buildings, businesses and logistics hubs.

Olexandr Mischenko emphasised that Russia continues to ignore any diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Ukraine, for its part, remains fully committed to this goal and ready to resume negotiations.

The interlocutors noted that protecting Ukrainian cities and civilians from Russian ballistic missiles remains one of the greatest challenges. In this context, the sides reaffirmed that providing Ukraine with the necessary weapons, including through the uninterrupted functioning of the PURL initiative, remains a priority. Through PURL, Ukraine receives more than 90% of the interceptors for its air and missile defence systems.

Particular attention was paid to Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. The Deputy Minister noted that Ukraine’s accession to NATO remains a strategic priority and the best security guarantee against future attempts to undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The sides agreed that Ukraine and its Armed Forces are contributors to security, and that support from NATO member states constitutes an important contribution by each Ally to the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area.

The Deputy NATO Senior Representative in Ukraine reaffirmed NATO’s unwavering support for Ukraine and expressed readiness to continue joint efforts with the Ukrainian side to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

Olexandr Mischenko thanked Tanya Hartman for her consistent support for Ukraine during her previous tenure as Head of the Eastern Partnership Policy Unit at NATO’s International Staff and wished her every success in her new position.