Because of the war in Ukraine and China: NATO and the EU want to expand cooperation “700 years of war with Russia”: for Lithuania, Ukraine’s struggle is their own

According to their top representatives, NATO and the EU should cooperate even more closely. According to information from the German news agency, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg intend to sign a statement this Tuesday calling, among other things, for better cooperation in protecting critical infrastructure such as the energy and water supply.

The text also mentions, for example, how to deal with information manipulation and interference from abroad and the security policy consequences of climate change as areas for greater cooperation. Global warming is considered a risk to peace and security because it threatens the livelihoods of millions of people. More humanitarian catastrophes, flight and migration, as well as increasing conflicts over resources such as water and land, could be the result.

As security threats and challenges continue to evolve in terms of scope and scope, cooperation will be taken to the next level, according to the text of the statement, available from the German news agency. To this end, the cooperation will be expanded and deepened.

For the first time, potential threats from China are also addressed in a statement on EU-NATO cooperation. China’s growing confidence and policies pose challenges that need to be addressed, the text says. However, Russia’s war against Ukraine is cited as the biggest threat to security.

The statement, which will be signed this morning at NATO headquarters in Brussels, builds on two previous joint statements from 2016 and 2018. It agreed, for example, to organize coordinated exercises and strengthen cybersecurity cooperation. (sda/dpa)