The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, concluded yesterday her participation in the NATO ministerial meeting, in the course of which the dual strategy of deterrence and dialogue towards Russia was defended and the allies celebrated the recent agreement between Washington and Moscow to extend the New START Treaty for the reduction and limitation of nuclear weapons.
During the meeting, which began last Tuesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the foreign ministers discussed Russia and arms control. The meeting was also attended by two partner nations, Finland and Sweden, and EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
“Russia has increased its pattern of repressive behaviour at home and aggressive behaviour abroad”, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during the press conference, stressing the validity of the Alliance’s “dual-track” approach to Russia, which combines strong deterrence and defense with openness to dialogue.
Stoltenberg also stressed that all Allies have welcomed the recent five-year renewal of the New START Treaty (agreed last January by US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin and opposed by former US President Donald Trump) and said that NATO remains a unique platform for Europe and the United States to consult on the future of arms control.
