On 13 and 14 June 202, the Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, took part in the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in Brussels. The meeting focused on preparations for the forthcoming NATO summit in Washington from 9 to 11 July 2024, as well as continued military support for Ukraine.
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(fr. l. to r.) Andris Sprūds, Minister of Defence of Latvia; Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence; Irene Fellin, Special Representative of the NATO Secretary General for Women, Peace and Security; Iryna Nykorak, Head of the #ArmWomenNow project; Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Finland.
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(fr. l. to r.) Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence; Yaşar Güler, Minister of Defence of Türkiye
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(fr. l. to r.) Jana Černochová, Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic; Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence.
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(fr. l. to r.) n.c.; Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence; Angel Tîlvăr, Romanian Minister of National Defence
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Group photo
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(fr. l. to r.) Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence; Irene Fellin, Special Representative of the Secretary General of NATO for Women, Peace and Security; Julianne Smith, Permanent Representative of the United States to NATO; Margarita Robles, Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Spain.
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(fr. l. to r.) Kajsa Ollongren, Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Andris Sprūds, Minister of Defence of Latvia; Yuriko Backes, Minister of Defence
On 13 June 2024, ahead of the NATO meetings, Yuriko Backes took part in the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, at the invitation of the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III. On this occasion, Yuriko Backes announced the latest deliveries of military equipment from Luxembourg to Ukraine and gave an update on Luxembourg's contributions in 2024 to the various capability coalitions: €5 million for the Artillery Coalition, €1.5 million for the Air Force Capability Coalition and €7.5 million for the IT Coalition.
"Together we are always stronger than on our own, and the best example of this is the cooperation between the coalitions. The coalitions will help Ukraine to repel the Russian aggressor and build up strong, deterrent armed forces", declared Yuriko Backes.
The first deliveries of equipment from the IT Coalition, led by Estonia and Luxembourg, have already arrived in Ukraine, and purchases totalling €33 million are currently being made to help Ukraine in the field of information and communication technologies. The coalition now includes 13 members, and Finland and Spain have just declared their intention to join the effort.
On the same day, a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council took place. At this meeting, the Ministers of Defence of the NATO countries, together with their Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, discussed, among other things, the best way of organising NATO's long-term support for Ukraine. The discussions focused in particular on a plan to give NATO a coordinating role for allied assistance and military training, as well as a multi-year financial commitment by the allies to Ukraine.
On 13 June 2024, the Ministers of Defence exchanged views on strengthening NATO's deterrence and defence posture by implementing the defence plans adopted at the Vilnius Summit in 2023. In this context, Yuriko Backes presented to her counterparts the evolution of Luxembourg's defence effort to reach 2% of gross national income in expenditure by 2030, stressing that "solidarity remains very important for Luxembourg and, as such, we will invest in the critical NATO capabilities that are lacking, whether within the framework of our NDPP objectives or beyond".
The ministers also discussed a new political commitment to develop the Alliance's industrial base, increase production and encourage multinational procurement. "Luxembourg supports the Defence Industrial Pledge. A more efficient industry means more robust support for Ukraine and larger stocks for the allies," stressed Yuriko Backes. The Minister of Defence also spoke out in favour of better integration of companies active in the production of dual-use goods, which are at the centre of supply chains and crucial for allies with smaller defence industry capabilities.
On the fringes of the meeting of NATO defence ministers, Yuriko Backes took part in the opening of an exhibition organised by the Ukrainian NGO Arm Women Now, in collaboration with the NATO Information and Documentation Centre in Kiev, as part of NATO's Women, Peace and Security programme. The #ArmWomenNow project aims to promote equality, dignity and respect for women in the security and defence sector. In this context, Minister Backes announced that Luxembourg is considering making a financial contribution to a NATO initiative aimed at providing uniforms and bullet-proof waistcoats for women.
During her visit to NATO headquarters, Minister Backes also had two bilateral meetings.
With her Czech counterpart, Jana Černochová, Minister Backes signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the two nations' cooperation in the field of military-technical assistance to Ukraine. This memorandum will pave the way for Luxembourg to participate in the Czech initiative to acquire 155mm artillery ammunition for Ukraine. Luxembourg's contribution amounts to 2 million euros.
During her first bilateral meeting with the Turkish Minister of Defence, Yaşar Güler, Yuriko Backes exchanged views on geopolitical challenges and the situation in Ukraine.
Press release by the Directorate of Defence