Jens Stoltenberg: “Russia is a direct threat to our security”

“The strategic concept will reflect that the world is completely different from 2010,” he said. Then the member states adopted the current concept, a sort of manual for the alliance. Then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev took part in the talks. “We agreed then that Russia is a strategic partner. That will not be the case now,” said Stoltenberg. “The concept will reflect that Russia poses a direct threat to our security.”

In addition, China will also be included in that concept for the first time. Not as an opponent, but as a challenger. “I expect that we will agree that China poses a challenge,” he said.

The NATO chief predicted a “historic and transformative summit”. “We are meeting in the midst of the greatest security crisis we have seen since the end of World War II.”

It will be a major summit as the allies adopt a new strategic concept. “That’s a blueprint for how to move NATO into the future, in a more competitive and dangerous world, to protect all allies and nearly 1 billion civilians,” Stoltenberg said.

The Secretary-General also referred to the memorandum between Turkey, Finland and Sweden, which paves the way for NATO membership for the two Nordic countries. “The leaders will make the historic decision to invite Finland and Sweden,” he said.

According to him, it could be one of the fastest accessions ever. “There are only a few weeks between the request to join in mid-May and the invitation now,” it said.

The parliaments of the 30 member states then have to approve the protocols, but Stoltenberg expects rapid ratification there too. “But I can’t promise anything. That’s up to the 30 parliaments.”