Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

NATO Unity

Tuesday 13 June 2023 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Minister regularly engages with NATO allies to strengthen unity and discuss Ukraine's progress towards NATO standards.
  • The UK supports Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO and hopes for a flag-raising ceremony for Sweden at the Vilnius summit.
  • The Foreign Secretary engaged with Hungary and Trkiye to discuss Sweden's potential membership in NATO.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Jones Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP asked about recent diplomatic actions taken by the government to enhance NATO solidarity.

Question

What recent diplomatic steps has he taken to help strengthen NATO unity?

Answer from James Cleverly

I regularly engage with our NATO allies. I did so most recently at the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting from 7 May to 1 June in Oslo, where we discussed preparations for the upcoming Vilnius summit and demonstrated continued solidarity with Ukraine.

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Q2 Kevin Foster Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP asked about the timing of a unanimous NATO decision to admit Sweden as a member.

Question

NATO's unity is its strength. When does the Foreign Secretary expect a unanimous decision in NATO to welcome Sweden into the alliance?

Answer from James Cleverly

The UK has been supportive of both Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO. We hope that Hungary and Türkiye will ratify the accession of Sweden by the time of the Vilnius summit, aiming for a flag-raising ceremony.

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Q3 Andrew Jones Con
Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP inquired about steps taken to facilitate Ukraine's path toward becoming a full member of NATO.

Question

Will the Prime Minister outline what steps have been taken to build the path towards Ukrainian NATO membership?

Answer from James Cleverly

The commitment made at Bucharest still stands. The training provided by the UK and other allies has increased Ukraine's acceptance of NATO standards, potentially shortening its path to full membership, though an exact timeline cannot be given.

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Q4 Valerie Vaz Lab Walsall and Bloxwich
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP congratulated the ambassador in Luxembourg and sought an assessment on Sweden's potential NATO membership before Vilnius.

Question

What assessment has the Foreign Secretary made of Sweden actually joining NATO, which will strengthen its unity, before the Vilnius summit?

Answer from James Cleverly

The UK supports Sweden's swift accession to NATO. We aim for a flag-raising ceremony at Vilnius, with all allies except two agreeing that Sweden should join soon.

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Q5 Angus MacNeil SNP
Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP inquired about the Foreign Secretary's latest engagement with Hungary and Türkiye regarding Sweden's potential NATO membership.

Question

When did he last engage with Hungary and Türkiye, and how important is it to stress Sweden being in NATO?

Answer from James Cleverly

My last conversations were at the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting with Türkiye and at the OECD meeting in Paris with Hungary. Both engagements involved discussing Sweden's potential membership.

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Q6 David Lammy Lab Tottenham
Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP asked about the Foreign Secretary's agreement on supporting Ukraine and his stance against a Minsk 3.0.

Question

Does the Foreign Secretary agree that once, with our support, Ukraine has prevailed in its war against Russia's invasion, there can be no Minsk 3.0?

Answer from James Cleverly

I agree with the Government's stance that Ukraine's rightful place is within NATO, and our support will help speed up its path to full membership.

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Q7 Alyn Smith
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP highlighted the evolving EU defence capacity due to Ukraine events and questioned if a comprehensive security treaty between the UK and EU is necessary.

Question

Is it not time for a comprehensive security treaty between the UK and the EU to regulate these discussions?

Answer from James Cleverly

We maintain strong bilateral relations with EU member states and have corporate-level relationships. However, NATO remains the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic defence. We aim to strengthen it further at Vilnius.

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