Russia’s massive attacks forced the convening of an extraordinary NATO-Ukraine Council in Brussels
1 September 15:46
on September 1, an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council will be held in Brussels. The reason is a new wave of massive Russian air attacks against Ukrainian cities.
This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
“We expect a focused discussion of joint steps to adequately respond to Russia’s rejection of peaceful efforts and escalation of terror against Ukrainians,” the foreign minister said.
He also emphasized that Ukraine is grateful to its allies for their consistent support, but the current situation requires “increased pressure on Moscow, which is prolonging the war and intensifying terror.”
What you need to know about the NATO-Ukraine Council
The NATO-Ukraine Council is a key format of coordination between Kyiv and the Alliance, which allows for both scheduled and emergency consultations. Meetings can be held with the participation of ambassadors, foreign ministers or defense ministers of NATO member states.
The main tasks of the Council are:
- discussing security issues and defense assistance,
- coordinating reforms in the defense sector,
- planning joint steps in the military and political spheres,
- increasing diplomatic pressure on Russia.
The Council’s decisions are political in nature, but form the basis for further practical actions by the Alliance to support Ukraine.
A series of new Russian attacks
The extraordinary meeting is convened after several large-scale attacks by Russia:
- onthe night of August 28, Russian missiles and drones hit Kyiv, collapsing a residential building, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens;
- night of August 30 – Russia launched 537 drones and 45 missiles of various types;
- night of August 31 – Chornomorsk in Odesa region experienced the largest attack since the beginning of the full-scale war.
According to Ukrainian diplomats, these events became the catalyst for convening an emergency meeting in Brussels.
NATO-Ukraine in times of crisis
The NATO-Ukraine Council was established in July 2023 at the NATO Summit in Vilnius as a renewed format of cooperation to replace the NATO-Ukraine Commission. Its main feature is Kyiv’s equality with all Allies in decision-making and the possibility of prompt convocation in the event of a crisis.
Since then, the Council has met several times after large-scale attacks by Russia:
- october 2023 – a meeting after massive missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, when the Allies agreed to increase the supply of air defense systems;
- february 2024 – discussion of the situation during the battles for Bakhmut and Avdiivka, when the Alliance stepped up coordination of military assistance;
- december 2024 – an extraordinary meeting due to Russian strikes on critical facilities in Kyiv and Kharkiv, after which a number of countries announced additional defense support packages.
These meetings are attended by the foreign or defense ministers of member states, and the Council’s decisions often trigger new collective actions, ranging from strengthening sanctions to increasing military supplies.
