Media has disclosed that next week NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, will make a high-profile statement regarding the need for a significant strengthening of the alliance’s air and missile defense systems
According to preliminary information, his speech, which he is expected to deliver in London on June 9, will include a call to increase the capacity of defensive systems by 400%. This will become one of the main topics of this year’s NATO summit, which will take place in the British capital, and aims to strengthen the defensive shield against growing challenges from Russia and other potential aggressors. Based on information gathered by the Reuters news agency, in excerpts of the speech already reviewed by some sources, Stoltenberg emphasizes that modern security in Europe and the Asia-Pacific theater requires a radical modernization and intensification of air defense capabilities. “To maintain our ability to deter and effectively defend our countries, we need to increase air and missile defense systems fourfold,” he will declare. NATO Secretary General will also underline that Russia is now attempting to “sow terror from the sky” in Ukraine by employing various types of autonomous aerial vehicles and high-tech missile systems. That is why it is necessary to reinforce the alliance’s defensive potential by creating shields capable of countering current and potential new threats. Photo and video materials from the scene show that the past night has been one of the most active in air battles, as Russian forces launched a record number of missiles and drones against Ukrainian targets. According to official data from Ukrainian air defense, only in the night of June 9, a total of 499 enemy aerial targets were registered. Of these, 479 were neutralized—including 277 kamikaze drones “Shahed” (183 of which were shot down in flight and 94 on the ground), 10 X-101 cruise missiles, four X-47 M2 “Kinzhal” missiles, two X-22 missiles, anti-radiation missile sets H-31P, and one X-35 cruise missile. Polish fighters were scrambled in response to a large-scale attack across all Ukrainian regions—the so-called “air assault,” which was among the largest in terms of the number of munitions used throughout the war. Simultaneously, the United States and other NATO member countries are intensifying efforts to prepare for the augmentation of ground and air forces. U.S. officials have stated the necessity to adhere to a minimum military expenditure level of 5% of GDP on defense, citing the increasing aggression of the Kremlin, which is now considered “the greatest threat” to Euro-Atlantic security. In this context, attention is also focused on the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, where not only will the issue of increasing defense readiness be discussed, but also the alignment of new strategic documents. It is expected that Alliance leaders will deliberate on how best to implement Stoltenberg’s ambitious plan to deploy additional air defense systems, which would allow deterrence of any new aggressions within the European space. Next week, during events in London and at the summit in The Hague, NATO leaders will once again protest against Moscow’s destabilizing policies and reaffirm their readiness to actively defend allies. Such steps indicate that NATO has repeatedly summarized its strategy for large-scale conflicts, and now this strategy is gaining concrete tools for implementation. It is therefore anticipated that Stoltenberg’s speech will include a clear call for a global review of security systems and the strengthening of defense alliances in response to the increasing military activity of Russia. Thus, the international community and NATO in particular are preparing for a new phase of strengthening defense mechanisms—one of the main focus areas being the expansion of air and missile defenses. This decision is driven by the realities of modern combat and the heightened threat from Russia, which continues to deploy upgraded weapon systems and tactics, aiming to pressure Ukraine and increase its military presence in the region. Also read: NATO is preparing for new challenges — what decisions will the alliance make and what does it mean for Ukraine and Europe.