Ukraine-NATO Council: Alliance Announces First Meeting of Defence Chiefs
NATO's highest military body, the Military Committee, will hold in-person meetings on January 17 and 18, 2024, in Brussels. On the first day, the Council Ukraine-NATO will convene, bringing together Chiefs of General Staff to discuss Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the situation on the ground, and NATO's continued support for Ukraine.
The North Atlantic Alliance reported this on its website.
During the first day, four additional sessions with Chiefs of General Staff will cover the results of the Vilnius Summit, increasing defence industry capabilities, operational planning, and assurance.
The second session will address the roadmap for adapting to current and future threats, update on NATO military transformation, emphasizing the need for collective defence and consolidated deterrence, focusing on key factors such as multi-domain operations, streamlined command and control, seamless interoperability, and continuous improvement of quality and quantity of capabilities.
The third session will focus on integrated anti-air and missile defence to enhance readiness, preparedness, and operational compatibility during peacetime, crises, and conflicts.
In the fourth session, defence chiefs will provide additional guidance on NATO's military deterrence and defence priorities, emphasizing key capability requirements ahead of the Washington Summit.
The second day will commence with a meeting of defence chiefs with their counterparts from the Partnership Interoperability and Assistance Group (PIAG) countries: Australia, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, and Switzerland. PIAG countries, non-NATO members, have individual security agreements allowing the exchange of classified information and participation in NATO exercises and training. Discussions will centre on current and future military interoperability opportunities.
In the following session, defence chiefs of NATO member countries and invited nations will meet their counterparts from NATO's Indo-Pacific partners: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. Discussions will include the strategic security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, regional challenges, and their implications for global security.
In the concluding session, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will meet with the Chiefs of Defence of the Alliance and invited attendees. Discussions will focus on current political goals and guidance ahead of the defence ministers' meeting in February 2024 and the summit in Washington.