At the #NATOSummit in Vilnius, Leaders took major decisions to adapt the Alliance for the future

❝Today, we meet as equals. I look forward to the day we meet as Allies❞ NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg welcomed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of #Ukraine 🇺🇦 to the #NATOSummit ahead of the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. The Secretary General praised the President, the Ukrainian people, the armed forces and the political leadership for their courage and determination since the beginning of Russia’s war. “NATO will continue to stand with you for as long as it takes,” he said. The establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Council is part of a three-part package of support bringing Ukraine closer to NATO. The Council will act as a forum “where Ukraine and NATO Allies will meet as equals, hold crisis consultations, and jointly take decisions,” Mr Stoltenberg said. The package also includes a multi-year programme of assistance to help the Ukrainian armed forces transition from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and standards and become fully interoperable with Allied forces. Allies have also reaffirmed that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan. “This will change Ukraine’s membership path from a two-step process to a one-step process,” said the Secretary General, adding: “we will issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when Allies agree that conditions are met.” This is “a strong, united message from Allies on your path to NATO membership,” he added.  Mr Stoltenberg further stressed the need for “credible arrangements” to be in place to ensure Ukraine’s security when the war ends, welcoming the plan of many Allies to commit to providing long-term security assurance to Ukraine. “This will help deter any future aggression from Russia after this war ends,” he said, adding that it complements the support provided by NATO. “The decisions made here in Vilnius mark the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between NATO and Ukraine. Today, we meet as equals. I look forward to the day we meet as Allies,” Mr Stoltenberg concluded

NATO’s new defence plans 🛡️ Approved at the #NATOSummit, NATO’s new defence plans will strengthen and modernise our force structure, providing up to 300,000 troops at high readiness

Bulgarian 🇧🇬 and US 🇺🇸 aircraft conducted troop and cargo transportation exercises including parachute cargo loading, and day and night parachute jumps. Allies also practiced casualty and aeromedical evacuations during exercise Thracian Summer 2023

NATO ships train alongside world's largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford A #NATO task group engaged in a series of dynamic maritime training exercises with the 🇺🇸 US Navy’s most advanced warship during Exercise Sage Wolverine in the central Mediterranean Sea. The exercise was the perfect opportunity for Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to hone their advanced warfighting skills and interoperability. Reaffirming their shared commitment to collective defence and security in the region, NATO nations contributed forces to the exercise, including Greece, Italy, Türkiye, the UK and the US. ❝NATO’s greatest strengths are its warfighting competence and interoperability, however these do not just occur automatically.  They require constant, dedicated hard work and exercises of this nature to endlessly practice and refine a myriad of common tactics, techniques and procedures, and thus maintain readiness❞ - said Commander SNMG2, Royal Navy Commodore Paul Stroude

Over 150 Airmen and two 🇺🇸 B-2 Spirit aircraft arrived in Keflavik, Iceland 🇮🇸 to participate in a Bomber Task Force Europe operation with NATO Allies. These types of operations are routinely conducted across Europe, showing NATO’s ability to rapidly field and deploy strategic forces at any time 💪🏻 "The B-2 bomber is arguably the most strategically significant airplane in the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s inflexible; dynamically deploying the bombers forward is a unique and important capability." - said Lt. Col. Andrew Kousgaard

3…2…1… Jump! 🪂 During ‘Jump Week’ in Poland, paratroopers from NATO nations 🇧🇪 🇨🇿 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 🇳🇱 🇵🇱 🇬🇧 performed over 400 parachute jumps from an aircraft and helicopter #NATO Allies train and exercise together on land, air and sea to test and maintain our readiness and ability to defend every inch of Allied territory

Flight operations from the world’s largest aircraft carrier 🇺🇸 USS Gerald R. Ford Forces from Standing #NATO Maritime Group 2 and the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group are conducting a series of high-end naval trainings in the central Mediterranean Sea 🌊 Allies train and exercise together on land, air and sea to test and maintain our readiness and ability to defend 📸: @usnavy

🇩🇪 Eurofighters’ high in the sky over the North Atlantic The German Air Force has sent fighter jets to 🇮🇸 Iceland to conduct training in the High North as part of Exercise Rapid Viking 2023. The exercise demonstrates Germany’s readiness and ability to swiftly deploy air power to any location

NATO stands ready to protect every inch of our territory. Allies agreed to scale up #NATO battlegroups in size if and when required

🇺🇸 U.S. Army paratroopers descend onto Juliet Drop Zone, Pordenone, Italy 🇮🇹 #NATO Allies train and exercise together on land, air and sea to test and maintain our readiness and ability to defend 📷 @USArmy

These tanks don’t float. Good thing this pontoon does! 🇺🇸 @usarmy Bradley tanks perform a ‘wet gap crossing’ on the Danube river in Romania 🇷🇴 during exercise Saber Guardian #NATO #saberguardian #usarmy #wetgapcrossing