Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, top NATO and EU officials pledged to expand cooperation between the two institutions in a joint statement signed today in Brussels.

Cooperation “is more important than ever,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after signing the declaration at alliance headquarters, alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.

“We must continue to strengthen the partnership between NATO and the European Union and we must further strengthen our support to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.

The NATO secretary general cited a meeting between the three officials hours after Russia invaded Ukraine in February to highlight their close ties.

“President Putin wanted to take over Ukraine in a few days and divide us. It has clearly failed in both”, he stressed.

Today’s NATO-EU Joint Declaration on Cooperation is a new effort to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions, with a commitment to improving cooperation efforts aimed at protecting critical infrastructure.

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NATO and the EU also aim to work together in the future on the security implications of climate change, as well as on space, foreign meddling, and information manipulation, Stoltenberg said.

The statement also explicitly mentions China for the first time. “China’s growing dogmatism and policies are challenges that we need to address,” Stoltenberg said.

The German News Agency notes, however, that the substantial expansion of official cooperation between the two institutions involves challenges, as Turkey, a member of NATO, does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the EU.