Gizem Nisa Demir
18 April 2026•Update: 18 April 2026
- Russia’s war in Ukraine a ‘wake-up call,’ Shekerinska tells Antalya Diplomacy Forum, calling for continued support to Ukraine
NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska said Saturday that escalating global threats require swift and decisive action, stressing that the alliance’s commitments will be judged by delivery rather than declarations.
“Our commitment will be measured not by our statements, not by our speeches, it will be measured by our delivery,” Shekerinska said, speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) in southern Türkiye during a panel titled “Securing Europe: Unity and Strategic Renewal towards NATO Ankara Summit.”
“Because the threats that we are faced with do not allow for flexibility, do not allow for delays, they require really decisive action. And this is what leaders did in The Hague. But even then we said it's just the first step,” she said, noting what she described as a shift in momentum among allies ahead of the Ankara meeting.
“What we see is a remarkable … the need for European allies and Canada to step up. We heard the call, it was probably long overdue. But it is clear that the European allies and Canada are really delivering,” Shekerinska said.
She also pointed to rising defense efforts among European allies and Canada ahead of the NATO Ankara Summit, adding that NATO’s credibility depends on implementation.
She also pointed to increased defense spending across the alliance, citing the Baltic states and Germany as key examples.
“We have some of the front runners in this, Lithuania, you know, highest defense spending, Latvia, extremely high defense spending, all of these countries, especially the Baltic states, have almost made it to 5% and some of them even exceeding it,” she said.
“What we see, for example, in Germany, is also a dramatic difference, doubling the spending … this is a clear indication that what we have agreed to was not just words, but a clear investment, a clear commitment.”
‘Russian aggression in Ukraine a wake-up call’
Shekerinska said NATO’s focus in Ankara will also turn to defense production and industrial coordination, including a dedicated industry forum.
“What we need to couple it with is, of course, an increased production,” she said, adding that allies and industry must reduce delivery times and deepen cooperation across the transatlantic defense sector.
She also underscored continued support for Ukraine, saying NATO must ensure Kyiv can negotiate from a position of strength and that burden sharing extends beyond spending to military assistance.
Shekerinska added that Russia’s war in Ukraine marked a turning point for European security, arguing that NATO must prepare for sustained geopolitical competition and greater instability beyond Europe.
“The Russian aggression in Ukraine was a wake-up call,” she said, adding that “we are preparing for a period of even stronger geopolitical competition,” including risks in the Middle East and Arctic.
She highlighted NATO’s recent operational adjustments in the Baltic Sea and northern regions, including initiatives such as Baltic Sentry, Eastern Sentry and Arctic Sentry, saying they demonstrated the alliance’s ability to adapt quickly.
“You cannot do all these vigilant activities with speeches and statements, you do them with capabilities,” she said, adding that NATO must continue investing in both funding and innovation to maintain readiness.
