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Hello, good morning, 

Today is the 75^th anniversary of NATO. Three quarters of a century ago NATO was born. At that time, there were 12 members, today there are 32. And I want to welcome Sweden which is the [last] one that has joined NATO. 

Today, we are going to receive colleagues, friends, from the Indo-Pacific. What is happening in the Indo-Pacific is also in relation with the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The recent veto by Russia at the United Nations [Security Council] of the control of North Korean ballistic missiles shows how close Russia and North Korea [are] and how they work together in order to provide arms to attack Ukraine. We will talk about it.  

Yesterday, I met with Minister [for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro] Kuleba who explained to me the situation in the front. We have to increase our support to do more and faster. We have done a lot, but it is certainly not enough.  

Russia is destroying civilian targets. It is trying to knock out the electricity system to all Ukrainians. It is killing people, destroying infrastructure. It shows only one thing: we have to continue supporting Ukraine, more in order to defend civilians and provide Ukrainians with the capacity to resist the aggression. 

But today, Indo-Pacific. It is an important issue. I will have meetings with our friends from New Zealand, [and] from [the Republic of] Korea.  

It is important that we have a look at what is happening in three places in the world: the Black Sea - the scenario of the Russia[n] aggression against Ukraine -, the Red Sea, where I have deployed a navy mission [EUNAVFOR ASPIDES], and the South China Sea.  

These three places are the hotspots of the world.  

Thank you. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-255190