Brussels Summit Declaration – Issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels 11-12 July 2018

 1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the 29 member nations of the North Atlantic Alliance, have gathered in Brussels at a time when the security of our nations and the rules-based international order are being challenged.  NATO will continue to strive for peace, security, and stability in the whole of the Euro-Atlantic area.  We are united in our commitment to the Washington Treaty, the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN), and the vital transatlantic bond.  We are determined to protect and defend our indivisible security, our freedom, and our common values, including individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.  NATO remains the foundation for strong collective defence and the essential transatlantic forum for security consultations and decisions among Allies.  The Alliance will continue to pursue a 360-degree approach to security and to fulfil effectively all three core tasks as set out in the Strategic Concept: collective defence, crisis management, and cooperative security.  NATO is a defensive Alliance.  NATO’s greatest responsibility is to protect and defend our territory and our populations against attack.   Any attack against one Ally will be regarded as an attack against us all, as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.  We will continue to stand together and act together, on the basis of solidarity, shared purpose, and fair burden-sharing. (…)

7. We reiterate our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova within their internationally recognised borders.  In accordance with its international commitments, we call on Russia to withdraw the forces it has stationed in all three countries without their consent.  We strongly condemn Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, which we do not and will not recognise.  The discrimination against the Crimean Tatars and members of other local communities must end.  International monitoring structures must be allowed to carry out their essential work in view of the protection of human rights.  We call for the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements by all sides, and support the efforts of the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group.  NATO’s response is in support of this overall effort, which includes sanctions as decided by the European Union (EU), the G7, and others, to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict and to address Russia’s actions.  We urge Russia to cease all political, financial, and military support to militant groups and stop intervening militarily in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and to withdraw troops, equipment, and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine, and return to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination.  We are deeply concerned by the use of torture and the transfer of Ukrainian citizens to prisons in Russia. We stress the importance of the safety and full and unhindered access for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission, up to and including the Russia-Ukraine border.  We call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia as independent states; to implement the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 ceasefire, particularly the withdrawal of Russian forces from the territory of Georgia; to end its militarisation of these regions; and to stop the construction of border-like obstacles.  We also call on Russia to withdraw its troops from the territory of the Republic of Moldova, and to continue to engage constructively in the Transnistria Settlement Process.  We are committed to supporting the Republic of Moldova’s democratic reforms and defence capacity building efforts. (…)