Blanar Discusses Defence Spending, SAFE Fund and Ukraine at NATO Meeting

Brussels, 4 December (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar attended the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Wednesday (3 December) and stated that the allies followed up on the conclusions of the NATO summit in The Hague, where member states agreed to increase defence spending to as much as 5 percent of GDP. The meeting revolved around the issues of the EU's defence fund SAFE and Ukraine, with the Slovak head of diplomacy also highlighting the importance of stability in the Western Balkans. According to him, a growing number of NATO-member states now recognise the need to invest in collective defence. "This was also evident on the part of the United States. The Deputy Secretary of State [Christopher Landau] accentuated that European countries should assume more responsibility and, above all, spend more on their own security," said Blanar, adding that Landau praised the way in which European states are approaching this issue. The ministers also discussed the SAFE fund, introduced by the European Commission in the spring as a specialised facility for defence loans worth €150 billion to purchase military equipment. Slovakia wants to join as well, with its allocation set at some €2.3 billion. Regarding the war in Ukraine, Blanar praised the activities of US President Donald Trump's government, which recently presented a peace plan that is being negotiated with both Ukraine and Russia. "It's important that these negotiations are taking place, and I think that a growing number or even a majority of NATO partners realise that this initiative needs maximum support," he stated, adding that "our position is clear in that it must involve Ukraine and, naturally, the adequate participation of European partners". Regarding the loan for Ukraine, which should be financed from immobilised Russian assets, Blanar stated that Slovakia is preliminarily not in favour of this solution, as such a "confiscation" could jeopardise the ongoing peace process. He clarified that Slovakia will take a highly pragmatic approach to this issue and will not do anything that would disrupt the peace plan. Blanar also raised the topic of the Western Balkans at the ministerial meeting, highlighting the KFOR mission led by NATO involving Slovak troops, as well as the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the sidelines of the meeting, Blanar also held bilateral talks with Landau and subsequently departed for Vienna to attend a session of the Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). jrg/df