Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence;
Credit: MAE
As reported by the Directorate of Defence, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, participated in a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, held via videoconference at the level of defence ministers, on Friday 19 April 2024.
This virtual meeting was an opportunity to discuss the operational and strategic situation on the ground and the support provided by NATO members to Ukraine in the exercise of its right to self-defence.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky briefed the NATO defence ministers on the latest developments on the battlefields as well as the most urgent needs of Ukraine in terms of military equipment and capabilities.
During her intervention, Minister Backes reiterated Luxembourg's support for Ukraine: "Now that Russia's war of aggression has tragically entered its third year, it is essential that our collective support for Ukraine increases. For its part, Luxembourg is entirely ready to continue to assume its responsibilities. Our support must be strong and predictable over the long term, through the most effective means. NATO also has an important role in this regard."
The Directorate of Defence recalled that Luxembourg provides military support to Ukraine on a bilateral level, in close consultation with the Ukrainian authorities, and on a multilateral level, in particular through its participation in different capability coalitions: as Lead Nation of the IT Coalition, and financially to the Air Force Capability Coalition and the Artillery Coalition.
