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00:00Good evening.
00:09Thank you for being here.
00:10We will now hear from the NATO Secretary General and President Zelensky.
00:14Good afternoon and a warm welcome to President Zelensky, dear Volodymyr.
00:20It is great to welcome you here in Brussels.
00:24We last met in London after my visit two weeks ago to Kiev.
00:29And of course, we spoke about Ukraine's most urgent needs and how best NATO can continue
00:36to support you, building on the important decisions Allied leaders made in Washington.
00:43On Monday, I visited the new NATO Command in Wiesbaden, which will coordinate the security
00:49assistance and training for Ukraine.
00:53The men and women there are already hard at work to ensure that they can deliver for
01:00Ukraine so that you can prevail.
01:04To do this, it will be essential that we continue to provide military aid.
01:10And yesterday, I announced that Allies are well on track to deliver on the financial
01:14pledge we made in Washington, with €20.9 billion in military assistance provided in
01:20the first half of this year.
01:23And we are on track to get to the €40 billion for the full year.
01:27So NATO is working with Ukraine, bringing you ever closer to the Alliance.
01:32And we are also working with other partners to bolster security for us all.
01:38We just concluded before the President arrived the first session of our NATO Defense Ministerial,
01:43is a meeting that included the European Union and our Indo-Pacific partners.
01:49And of course, Ukraine was also high on the agenda of that meeting.
01:53It was the first meeting when we had Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand participating in
01:59this format.
02:00A clear sign of our deepening cooperation in the face of our shared challenges.
02:06The war in Ukraine has shown that instability in Europe can have far-reaching consequences
02:11across the world.
02:13And that countries thousands of miles away, as far away as Iran, China, and even North
02:18Korea, can become security spoilers in our own backyard.
02:23Our world is closely linked, and so is our security.
02:28China has become a decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine.
02:34And it cannot continue to fuel the biggest conflict in Europe since the Second World
02:38War without disimpacting on its interest and reputation.
02:44Iran and North Korea are fueling Russia's war machine with missiles and drones in return
02:49for support for the military industries.
02:52So we must be clear-eyed in our assessment of the challenges we face.
02:57And we must work with our like-minded partners to address our shared challenges and uphold
03:02our common values.
03:04At our summit in Washington, NATO agreed to deepen practical cooperation with our Indo-Pacific
03:10partners.
03:11And today we discussed our joint efforts, including on support for Ukraine, defense
03:16production and innovation, cyber defense, countering disinformation, and new technologies,
03:23including artificial intelligence.
03:25I want to take this opportunity to thank our Indo-Pacific partners and the EU for their
03:30outstanding support for Ukraine, including today the announcements made by Australia
03:35about the delivery of tanks to Ukraine.
03:39We are determined to work ever more closely together to defend our democratic values and
03:44to promote a world based on the rule of law, not the rule of force.
03:48Finally, I'm looking forward tonight to the NATO-Ukraine Council Working Dinner this evening
03:54and to our discussions.
03:57President Zelensky, dear Vladimir, it is great to have you here at NATO Headquarters.
04:02I look forward to the day that Ukraine is here as a member of this alliance.
04:07And until then, we will continue to do all that we can to ensure Ukraine prevails.
04:14This is vital for our shared security.
04:17And with that, for Vladimir, it's an honor to give you the floor.
04:20Thank you so much, Mark.
04:21Thank you very much, dear Mark, dear journalists.
04:26It's already our third meeting with Mark Rutte in his new role as NATO Secretary General,
04:34and it fully reflects the level of our relationship between Ukraine and the alliance between both
04:43of us.
04:44Yes, thank you so much, Mark.
04:51Ukraine truly deserves to become the third NATO member one day, and we must do everything
05:01to ensure this happens.
05:04That is why the first fundamental point in the victory plan is the invitation to NATO.
05:12Ukrainians have shown that we can defend shared values, and we are standing against Russia,
05:20the biggest threat to Europe and global peace.
05:23In our revolutions, we've proven that we truly value democracy.
05:31NATO's rules say that any country that shares common values and can help strengthen and
05:39protect others can join the allies.
05:42Right now, inviting Ukraine to join NATO will strengthen us diplomatically and bring us
05:48closer to real and, what is very important, fair peace.
05:54Being determined is the surest path to peace, and this is a realistic path.
06:02Everything Ukrainians have achieved so far seemed impossible not so long ago.
06:08Ukraine has withstood Russia's full-scale attack and is defending against the invasion.
06:16And we remain united, as does Europe.
06:20And we are boosting our defense capabilities and weapons production and coordinating like
06:25never before.
06:27Our skies are protected by Patriots, NASAMS, IRIS-T, Kratal, HAWK, and other systems from
06:36our partners.
06:37We are very thankful to our partners.
06:40And thanks to global support, we have saved thousands, thousands of lives.
06:46F-16s are already in our skies.
06:48Not too much for today, but anyway, we have them.
06:53And we are preparing to receive planes from France.
06:57Our soldiers hold their front lines with weapons from around the world, from America to Sweden,
07:04Turkey, to Canada.
07:06And it would be wrong, of course, to leave Ukraine politically outside the alliance when
07:14in practice, Ukraine is already part of NATO.
07:18That is why I'm grateful to every leader and every country that supports us.
07:24This is in tele-fair and in tele-fair.
07:29And I thank all the defense companies.
07:31Of course, Mark mentioned about it, it's so important from partner countries that have
07:36already come to work in Ukraine and are producing weapons on our soil or in cooperation with
07:43us, with our companies.
07:46And I thank everyone helping to rebuild our infrastructure after Russian attacks, especially
07:52now before winter, difficult winter.
07:56Every leader who praises Ukrainians' resilience is really talking about our partnership.
08:02All the countries providing equipment, helping with reconstruction and supporting us with
08:07air defense systems.
08:10Working together with our partners knows how to achieve its goals.
08:15And this is what matters most.
08:19There are commitments made at the NATO Summit in Washington in July, and we are still waiting
08:26for those commitments to be fulfilled.
08:28But we are thankful to our partners.
08:30It's very important to deliver on what is announced in support packages to Ukraine.
08:37And lives of our soldiers at the front depend exactly on it.
08:42And we need to strengthen the training missions and initiatives that really work to protect
08:50against Russian aggression, and not only in NATO countries, but also in Ukraine.
08:55We have concluded nearly 30 bilateral security agreements with our partners.
09:01These are a set of agreements that are needed by both Ukraine and all of Europe.
09:07And we count on the readiness of NATO members to ensure the already announced financial
09:14assistance to Ukraine in the amount totally of 40 billion euros by the next NATO Summit
09:20in The Hague.
09:21And I thank everyone, everyone who helps us, helps Ukraine.
09:26And today, at the meeting of our Ukraine NATO Council, we will focus on the steps that
09:31will provide us with more protection, more security.
09:37Thank you so much.
09:38Thanks, Mark, for the invitation.
09:40Slava Ukraine.
09:43Thank you very much.
09:44We have very limited time for questions, I'm afraid, so I will do my best to take as many
09:48as we can.
09:49I'll start with the BBC on the fourth row.
09:53Thank you very much, Jonathan Beale, BBC News.
09:56If I could first of all ask President Zelensky, you said that your victory plan depends not
10:04on Russia, but on the will of your partners.
10:08Do you think the will is there?
10:10Because if we look at two of your key objectives, membership of NATO, that doesn't look like
10:15it's going to happen any time soon.
10:18If we look at your desire to have Western-supplied long-range missiles being used to hit targets
10:25in Russia, they've been debating that for months, no progress.
10:29So you say it's realistic, I just wonder whether it is realistic.
10:35And then if I could ask you, Secretary General, I realize it's slightly not about what you've
10:41been discussing, but there are reports, increasingly likely, that the leader of Hamas has been
10:48killed, and I just wanted to get your reaction, and also if you think this is an important
10:56time for Israel to take stock and review its military operations in Gaza, because they
11:03have, in essence, if they have killed him, the head of the snake.
11:08I just want to emphasize it's one question per journalist.
11:10I apologize.
11:11Thank you very much.
11:12We're very short on time.
11:13Yes.
11:14You are.
11:15Okay, thank you so much.
11:16So thank you very much for your question.
11:18So not the first time I hear such question, what is realistic and what is not realistic.
11:25Remember the steps before innovation, remember first days of Russian invasion, and a lot
11:32of different propositions, because some of them have been realistic for us to survive,
11:37not realistic, and et cetera.
11:39So I believe in people, in our people and in people, not only Ukrainians, first of all
11:49Ukrainians, because the war in Ukraine and the strongest weapon what we had at the very
11:55beginning of the war is just our people, different.
11:59I think this is the strategic weapon, but we lose them, and that is the problem of the
12:07war, especially of the long war.
12:10It's a big tragedy for us, really, to lose our people.
12:17And that's why I believe in our people, in unity in Ukraine.
12:20If we will not lose unity in Ukraine, we will prevail.
12:26I'm sure, 100 percent, but it depends on the unity of our partners.
12:31It really depends, because the morality of people, you know, long war, it's understandable.
12:36All our feelings were understandable.
12:39I don't want to go further to this question, but I think you understand, strengthening
12:44of Ukraine, it's not only depending on the weapon this kind or that kind, it's depending
12:49on the will.
12:52If our partners will not lose their unity, we will not lose this strength.
13:00And we will not lose that unity.
13:04It's so important.
13:05And my message today to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is that if he thinks we will, we will
13:10not.
13:11And today, again, is evidence.
13:12Look what the Australians have done, what the Germans are doing, what the U.S. has done
13:16today, again announcing almost half a billion in anti-missile defense systems.
13:23I've spoken over the last three weeks with all allies.
13:27There is absolute unity.
13:28We will massively make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to fight the war against
13:35Russia.
13:36We will continue doing that.
13:37And if anyone in the Kremlin will think that by sowing division we will stop this, no,
13:42this will not happen.
13:44And Ukraine will be member of NATO.
13:46There is no doubt about it.
13:48It's so important.
13:49And that's why it's not a question of debates.
13:52We just, I think we need to strengthen us urgently.
13:56To my mind, that is very important now.
13:59And debates about invitation and long-distance weapon, of course, they are.
14:05Some people, they raise up their questions, their volume, the level of risks with it,
14:12and et cetera.
14:13But I remember our first steps with Patriots, then with F-16, before it, MLRS, HIMARS, always,
14:26always debates.
14:27But here we are.
14:28Here we are.
14:29We are democracies.
14:30Ukraine is a democracy.
14:31The 32 allies are democracies.
14:32Yeah, yeah.
14:33So you will have debates.
14:34But there is absolute unity that we will – because this is about our values, about our collective
14:39security.
14:41We cannot have an emboldened Russia at the NATO borders because they would somehow have
14:47been successful in Ukraine.
14:48We cannot accept that because of our values and because of our collective security interests.
14:52And this is from Los Angeles to Tirana to the most eastern city in – on NATO territory,
15:00we are aligned on this.
15:01You see, we have unity, good beginning.
15:05We need 32 more.
15:08And then Al-Sinwar, of course, he is widely recognized as the architect of the 7th of
15:12October 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel.
15:17I have condemned them.
15:18All allies have condemned them.
15:20Every reasonable soul in the world has condemned them.
15:22So if he has died, I personally will not miss him.
15:26We'll go to DPA, please, at the back there.
15:40Thank you very much.
15:41Ansgar, the German press agency, DPA.
15:44Mr. President, you just made it clear at the EU summit that the question of nuclear weapons
15:49would arise for Ukraine if it cannot become a NATO member.
15:53So in this context, can you tell us how long it would take for Ukraine to build a nuclear
15:57bomb?
15:58And a question to the Secretary General, would you understand if Ukraine were to build a
16:03nuclear bomb if it cannot become a NATO member?
16:09Sometimes we create ourselves problems.
16:13Now you began to do it.
16:15So we never spoke about that we are preparing to create nuclear weapon or something like
16:24this.
16:25I said that when Budapest Memorandum was signed by very honorable, nuclear, very powerful
16:35nuclear countries, there was written that Ukraine gives nuclear weapon and Ukraine will
16:43have from these very respectable countries, including those time Russia, China, United
16:51States, including them, yes?
16:54That we will have our secure territorial integrity and sovereignty.
17:00That what I said.
17:02And I said, so it meant that we gave nuclear and these people who've been partners those
17:10time, they had to give us security guarantees.
17:14And if after that Putin began this occupation, not once, during all these years, during the
17:21revolutions, during 10 last years, two times during last 10 years, it means that it's not
17:28very good umbrella for our security.
17:31That's why I said I don't have alternative except NATO.
17:36That was my signal.
17:38But we don't do nuclear weapon, please.
17:42Don't move these messages.
17:44And Ukraine will be a NATO.
17:47And till that happens, we will make sure that Ukraine has everything it needs to prevail.
17:52Okay.
17:53ICTV.
17:54The gentleman in the third row.
18:02Volodymyr Runets, ICTV.
18:03Mr. Secretary General, you mentioned that, and that has been mentioned before, that China
18:08is a decisive enabler of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
18:13But on the other hand, everyone understands that Russia could be a deterring party to
18:19this conflict.
18:21Should NATO revise its relationship with China and probably involve India more to make Russia
18:30step back?
18:32And Mr. President, if you please, I wanted to ask you if you're happy today with what
18:37you got here in Brussels.
18:39But that question, I think, was asked already.
18:42So I would go further and ask you, Mr. Fitzer, the Slovakian prime minister, said that Ukraine's
18:48NATO membership will come at a cost.
18:52So what do you think he meant?
18:54Did you speak to the Slovakian delegation?
18:58What are the details?
18:59Could you elaborate?
19:01Well, on your first question, clearly, China is a challenge.
19:03It is not our adversary, but it is a challenge.
19:06And it is supporting Russia's war effort by sanction circumvention, by delivering dual
19:12use goods.
19:13And it will have an impact.
19:14It is having an impact on China's standing in the world.
19:18They cannot do that without having to experience that countries will take a different look
19:23towards China.
19:25And that will be my answer to your first question, and I think, Vladimir, on the...
19:32On this question?
19:33No, no, not on this one.
19:34On other?
19:35Yes, about Fitzer.
19:37So today we spoke with him, but I think it was between us.
19:41So I said that, first of all, I'm happy that our governments on the level of Prime Minister
19:50Smigael have some contacts with Prime Minister Fitzer.
19:54It was my first conversation with Fitzer and about the...
19:58So I think we speak, it's good.
20:03And about the high price, yes, you asked about the high price.
20:07He said that the need of Russia's high price.
20:14I said a lot of things to Fitzer today.
20:18I think that we have to hold relations between our countries.
20:22I think it's more important to do it so his country is not in war, God bless.
20:31And I wish his people peace, not see what does mean and what Putin really...
20:39What Putin's face...
20:42What Putin really can bring to your country.
20:45And that's great that he doesn't feel it as good for his people.
20:52But he has to support us, otherwise he will understand it very well from him.
21:00Otherwise Putin will never stop.
21:03Just if we will not stop him, he will never stop.
21:07He likes the process.
21:08He's fan of the war.
21:11I gave today the example, very interesting example, when we tried to save our north part
21:18and went through their border on Kursk region.
21:22You know what the people said to our soldiers?
21:25You are NATO.
21:27You are Americans.
21:29Russian people said to our soldiers.
21:32Our soldiers, Ukrainian speaking guys, but of course they know Russian language 100%.
21:37They begin to answer in Russian language, no.
21:40They said in Russian language, no, no, no, we are Ukrainians.
21:43They said, and Russians, these old people, they said, no, no, you are NATO, you are NATO.
21:49They've been very surprised that we are Ukrainians.
21:53So you understand in what disinformation they live.
21:57So Putin built such government, he took the rights of his people, and now he's moving
22:04to the deaths, young people.
22:07That's mean that he will never stop.
22:10He likes this world, and he will protect his world.
22:14That's why we have to finish, no, not finish, yes, yes, better to finish with him, yes,
22:21it's really, but to stop him, I mean, to stop him, understand?
22:27Okay, we'll go to NHK, please.
22:34Thank you, Secretary General.
22:35I would like to ask about the IP foreign discussions you had.
22:39What would be the takeaways you could share with us concerning China with the discussions
22:45you had today?
22:46And Mr. President, I would like to ask, with China supporting Russia, and now North Korea
22:54trying to send personnel to fight your people, is the cooperation with the, like, Japan and
23:00IP4 countries becoming more important?
23:05We had a very good meeting with the four countries, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and indeed
23:12Japan very much being at the table.
23:15It is a strong partner with NATO, and IP4 is a strong partner for NATO.
23:20We discussed, of course, Ukraine.
23:22We discussed how what is happening in Europe is impacting on the Indo-Pacific and the security
23:27situation in the Pacific, impacting, of course, on the Euro-Atlantic, so also on NATO, and
23:34that we need to really build that relationship.
23:37And this is not only about China.
23:39This is, of course, a broader debate and a broader discussion.
23:44And what we agreed is that we particularly want to deepen that relationship in the areas
23:49of industrial production, because this is an issue for every one of us, to ramp up industry
23:55production – I mean defence industry production, innovation, but also how do we deal with hybrid
24:01threats, cyber threats.
24:05And on all these issues, we will strengthen the cooperation between the four and NATO
24:10allies.
24:11Okay.
24:12Okay, and a final question to the Sydney Morning Herald, third row.
24:23It's actually the other Australian journalist, Hans van Leeuwen from the Australian Financial
24:27Review.
24:28For the Secretary-General, was there any specific discussion at the IP4 about the North Korean
24:34question given the urgency that has come about given the reports from Ukraine?
24:40And for President Zelensky, Australia has just given you 49 tanks, but is it frustrating
24:45to you that you get these things on an ad-hoc basis and that you have to ask and ask and
24:50ask your partners for things, rather than you get a sort of structured program that
24:54you can plan around for gifts of this kind?
24:57Well, on the first question, we discussed all the security implications of what's happening
25:03in the Pacific and in the Euro-Atlantic area, what that means for our cooperation, but also
25:08for the two areas separate.
25:10But also, again, so much being interconnected, what it means for us collectively.
25:15Of course, North Korea also was discussed, and we are very worried about the situation
25:20North Korea is posturing towards the Republic of Korea, so as we say, South Korea.
25:28But also, the role North Korea is playing in that access together with China, Iran,
25:33and Russia, supporting Russia's war effort against Ukraine.
25:39We have no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight, but we do know
25:45that North Korea is supporting Russia in many ways, by weapons supplies, technological supplies,
25:52innovation, to support them in the war effort.
25:55And that is highly worrying, and Russia is paying a price for this, because they are
26:00not getting this for free from Iran, China, and North Korea.
26:04In return, it means that they have to deliver innovation, other capacities and capabilities.
26:12And therefore, it is a problem for Ukraine, therefore it is a problem for all of us.
26:17But in the end, it is also a problem for Russia itself.
26:21So North Korea was discussed along these lines.
26:24Thank you so much for your question.
26:27From our intelligence, we've got information that North Korea sent technical personnel
26:31and officers to Ukraine on temporarily occupied territories.
26:36And they are preparing on their land 10,000 soldiers, but they didn't move them already
26:43to Ukraine or to Russia.
26:45So when we will have this information, of course, we will raise up this question, but
26:49because this will be the second – I think it's already the second country which involved
26:56to this war against us.
26:58So about the tanks, thank you so much, Australia, for these tanks.
27:03Yes, it's difficult to live without plan.
27:05That's why Ramstein really helps, because ministers of defense, the level of the ministers,
27:11and they really bring the plan of interior production of Ukraine.
27:17Sometimes it's about money and make money to put money to our private sector to increase
27:23the production of long-distance weapon, which is now very important before winter, systems
27:29of electronic warfare, also urgent things, and also the plan how to equip brigades.
27:36This is the best plan what we can have, really.
27:39So our messages to all the countries, just equip brigades.
27:43They can be resource and they can change our guys who are tired.
27:47Some of them are tired.
27:48We need to change them on the battlefield.
27:51That's why we need this resource, well-equipped.
27:55And this is the signal how to have real plan.
27:58Then about Japan, just to finish, because you asked me, I'm very thankful to your country.
28:06And really we found during this war very strong partner from all our people, please, big thanks
28:14to your society.
28:17Go through the winter in Ukraine, it will be the third one, but we had experience of
28:23two with blackouts, with all these challenges, and without the help of partners where Japan
28:31supporting us with energy during such cold and dark winter.
28:38So without such partners, we couldn't survive.
28:41So we are very thankful to you for all support that Japan provided for us.
28:47Thank you very much.
28:48That's all we have time for.