Joint statement by the Nordic Ministers of Defence on Ukraine
MFAThe Nordic Ministers of Defence, including Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Iceland, issued the following statement on 21 December 2021:
We, the Nordic Ministers of Defence, follow the recent developments in and around Ukraine with great concern. Recent Russian military activity, especially the exceptional military build-up along Ukraine’s borders, is a worrying development, which may have a destabilising effect on our shared security environment.
Transparency, refraining from the use of military force, and adherence to both the letter and the spirit of the OSCE commitments and principles and the Vienna Document 2011 is paramount.
We continue to follow the situation in and around Ukraine closely. In 2019 the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) established a Crisis Consultation Mechanism, facilitating rapid consultations on any urgent matter of common concern. We recently had a Ministerial consultation to discuss the current situation close to Ukraine’s border, and we will continue to keep close contact.
The Nordic countries continue their firm support to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and right to decide its own foreign and security policy course free from outside interference. We reject the notion of spheres of influence in Europe.
The Minsk agreements and political dialogue remain the basis for solving the conflict in eastern Ukraine.