Joint press conference following the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, 15 APR 2026

Video Description

Joint press conference by the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Federal Minister of Defence of Germany 🇩🇪 Boris Pistorius, the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 John Healy and the Minister of Defence of Ukraine 🇺🇦 Mykhailo Fedorov, 15 April 2026. 🗣 | NATO Secretary General: It was important for me to join this UDCG here with the co-chairs and with Mykhailo Fedorov here in Berlin. Because we cannot lose focus on Ukraine, even with the many pressing security challenges we face. There is no respite in Russia’s war of aggression. Russia continues its brutal attacks, day and night. Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to hold back the Russians. And the Ukrainian people continue to resist. Today, and I think that was very important, we all reaffirmed our commitment to Ukraine. Vital military equipment from NATO Allies continues to flow into Ukraine. This includes through NATO’s PURL initiative, which is getting key American firepower into the country, paid for by Allies and partners. PURL keeps flowing. I welcome the further support announced during the meeting. For example, we have heard new missiles from Germany, for Patriots, 120,000 drones from the United Kingdom, more drones from the Netherlands and more funds for PURL and the Czech ammunition initiative. Mykhailo Fedorov, your efforts are making Ukraine’s military even stronger. I really welcome them. You are doing a fantastic job. Russia is struggling on the battlefield. Winning is now a distant dream for Putin, and we even saw some media reports that he is understanding that his economy is in a bad shape. And we already knew that. As Ukraine’s armed forces inflict massive losses on his war machine, happening every day, and the numbers indeed are staggering. We heard some of that today. A strong Ukraine today, and a strong Ukraine for the future is how Russian aggression can be stopped. So, we need to dig deep, and continue to provide the crucial support that Ukraine needs. Because Ukraine’s security, is our security. Ukraine’s expertise in countering drones and missile threats is helping save lives beyond its borders. As Boris Pistorius said, it is a two-way street. We are also now learning from you. We are learning from Ukraine. And I welcome the agreements you have made with several Gulf states who have suffered indiscriminate attacks by Iran. The deals on defence cooperation and production show how Ukraine is becoming an exporter of security. Dear Boris, dear colleagues, thank you for hosting us here in Berlin. And I look forward to continuing to work with you, and of course John, and Mykhailo to ensure that Ukraine continues to get the help it deserves. We know that war isn’t waiting for us. The time for action is now. Thank you so much. #Ukraine