On 19 April 2024, Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes took part in a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, held via videoconference at the level of defence ministers, to discuss the operational and strategic situation on the ground and the support provided by the Allies to Ukraine in exercising its right to self-defence.
During this Virtual Council, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, addressed NATO's defence ministers to brief them on the latest developments on the battlefields and on Ukraine's most urgent needs in terms of military equipment and capabilities.
In her speech, Yuriko Backes reiterated Luxembourg's unwavering 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 fully prepared to continue to assume its responsibilities. Our support must be solid and predictable over the long term, using the most effective means. NATO also has an important role to play here."
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 various capability coalitions: as Lead Nation of the IT Coalition, and financially to the Air Force Capability Coalition and the Artillery Coalition.
Press release by the Directorate of Defence