The NATO Conference on Arms Control, Disarmament and Weapons of Mass Destruction Non-Proliferation is an annual event that brings together senior officials from NATO member states and partners, representatives of international organizations, the expert community and civil society to discuss current challenges in the field of international security, as well as measures to strengthen strategic stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.
This year, the conference was attended by senior officials from NATO and member states, including NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Boris Ruge and the State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office Géza Andreas von Geyr.
Ukraine was represented at the event by Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olexandr Mischenko.
The conference was opened by the State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office Géza Andreas von Geyr, who emphasized in his address that, despite the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East and other global challenges, supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression remains an unchanging priority for Germany and will continue to be at the center of German foreign policy.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also addressed the participants of the event with a video greeting.
Olexandr Mischenko took part in the thematic panel “Ensuring Freedom and Guaranteeing Stability: Euro-Atlantic Security in a New Strategic Era”.
In his speech, the Deputy Minister emphasized that strategic stability in the Euro-Atlantic space directly depends on decisive and long-term support for Ukraine in its heroic fight against Russian aggression. The Ukrainian diplomat emphasized that appeasing the aggressor country – the Russian Federation and attempts to equate the victim with the attacker are the wrong path to follow, which only increases threats to the entire European community.
Olexandr Mischenko paid special attention to the need to strengthen military, financial, energy and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, to strengthen the sanctions regime introduced against the aggressor country, and to prevent its circumvention, in particular through control over the supply of dual-use goods to third countries and countering the Russian Federation’s “shadow fleet”. The Deputy Minister emphasized that it is consistent support for Ukraine and strengthening its defense capabilities that is the key to safeguarding European values, achieving a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine, and therefore a secure future for the entire European continent.
Additionally, on the sidelines of the conference, Olexandr Mischenko held a working meeting with NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Boris Ruge. The parties discussed further support for Ukraine from the Alliance in the context of ongoing Russian aggression, in particular through intensification of work within the framework of the PURL initiative and attracting additional financial contributions to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.