NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday called for greater Alliance military support for Ukrainian forces to allow them to continue their counteroffensive against Russia despite the losses suffered.
The supply of weapons and the replenishment of ammunition stocks of the Alliance countries will be at the center of the defense ministers’ discussions with their Ukrainian counterpart this Thursday for their last meeting before the Alliance summit in a month. in Vilnius.
“The most obvious thing is to make sure they have weapons and supplies to continue the offensive,” said Jens Stoltenberg.
“Minister (Oleksiy) Reznikov and the Ukrainian military commanders will report urgent needs” against Russian troops, he explained, upon returning from Washington.
The issue discussed by the Contact Group for Ukraine
The issue will be addressed during a meeting of the US-led Contact Group for Ukraine, known as the Ramstein group, hosted at NATO headquarters in Brussels ahead of the Alliance defense ministers meeting.
“Ukrainian forces are carrying out a full-scale counteroffensive. It has just begun and we do not know if it will be a turning point in the war, but the Ukrainians are advancing to liberate territories”, stressed the NATO Secretary General. .
“No one can predict the evolution on the battlefield. When you are up against well-prepared static forces, minefields and defense lines, you have to expect casualties and the fighting is fierce,” he added.
“Raise” the goals
Jens Stoltenberg awaits “new announcements” for the supply of arms and ammunition after those made by the United States, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany.
“The weapons provided by the NATO countries are used for the counteroffensive and make a difference,” he insisted. But “our stocks are getting lower and lower. We can’t keep up at this rate,” she warned.
Jens Stoltenberg advocates “raising” capacity targets for ammunition and weapons stocks and invites NATO countries to sign joint contracts. This year a credit line of 1,000 million dollars was adopted for 155mm ammunition, he recalled.
Representatives of the defense industry “SMEs and groups” were invited to meet with the Alliance ministers after the Ramstein group meeting.
One month before the Vilnius summit, several issues still divide the Alliance, in particular the guarantees in terms of security and protection that will be granted to Ukraine to accompany it on the path to accession.
“Preparing the documents for the summit takes time and gives rise to rumours. I never confirm rumours. But in Vilnius we will have substantial agreements,” Jens Stoltenberg said.
Source: BFM TV
