NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg chaired a digital assembly of the NATO-Ukraine Council on the degree of defence ministers on Friday (19 April 2024), to deal with Ukraine’s pressing want for air defences and different army assist. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefed Allies on the state of affairs on the battlefield and Ukraine’s pressing wants.
After the assembly, Mr Stoltenberg mentioned that Allies had agreed to supply additional army help, together with extra air defences: “NATO has mapped out present capabilities throughout the Alliance and there are methods that may very well be made out there to Ukraine,” he mentioned, including that he expects new bulletins on air defence capabilities for Ukraine quickly. The ministers additionally addressed Ukraine’s want for extra artillery shells, deep precision strike capabilities, and drones.
Mr Stoltenberg welcomed the current extra help from Allies to Ukraine, together with Germany’s choice to ship a further Patriot to Ukraine; a further 4 billion euros in army help from the Netherlands; Czechia’s ammunition initiative; and new pledges from Denmark and Norway. The Secretary Normal additionally welcomed plans by the US Home of Representatives to schedule a vote on a crucial assist bundle for Ukraine. “I rely on the invoice to cross with out additional delay,” he mentioned. He underscored that every one Allies should “dig deep into their inventories and velocity up the supply of missiles, artillery and ammunition.”
Mr Stoltenberg underlined that “Ukraine is utilizing the weapons we offer to destroy Russian fight capabilities. This makes us all safer. So help to Ukraine will not be charity. It’s an funding in our safety.”