The defense ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meet this Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels to strengthen support for Ukraine in the face of Russian threats, also discussing the safeguarding of critical infrastructure such as European gas pipelines.
Speaking at the press conference prior to the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Atlantic Alliance will mobilize more ammunition and equipment to “help Ukraine win the war”, also discussing the protection of critical infrastructure of the Allies, such as the European gas pipelines
Specifically, at this ministerial meeting, the relevant ministers “will take decisions to increase the ‘reserves’ of ammunition and equipment”, mobilizing such support for Ukraine, at a time when the country needs “a wide range of different systems, such as weapons , artillery, armored vehicles, air defense systems, anti-tank weapons, but also fuel, winter clothing and communication systems,” listed Jens Stoltenberg.
At this meeting, the allied defense ministers will also, according to the official, “address the protection of critical infrastructure”, when Russia is accused of sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which supply Russian natural gas to Europe, for which NATO already increased presence in the Baltic and North Seas for surveillance.
Speaking to the press, the NATO Secretary General also stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is failing in Ukraine”, as his strategy “is not progressing as planned”, admitting, however, that he is cautious against the possible use of nuclear weapons. for Russia
In recent days there have been, among other areas of attack, Russian attacks in the area of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, in southern Ukraine, the largest in Europe, after Putin announced a partial mobilization of 300,000 Russian reservists.
Already this Monday, dozens of people were killed or injured in the bombings caused by Russian forces in various regions of Ukraine, specifically in the kyiv area.
It was the first time that the Ukrainian capital had been bombed since last June, after the start of the war caused by the Russian invasion in February this year.
Portugal will be represented at this NATO meeting by Defense Minister Helena Carreiras.
The meeting begins this afternoon with a meeting of the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine, in which the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov participates, to inform the Allies about the evolution on the ground and the winter needs of Ukraine.
This Contact and Defense Group is an initiative of the United States and its objective is to discuss with the Allies military support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. The first meeting of this group took place last April at the US Ramstein air base in southwestern Germany.
A working dinner will follow tonight, to which the Finnish and Swedish counterparts are invited, as well as the Ukrainian Defense Minister, and further discussions will take place on Thursday, specifically by the nuclear planning group and the North Atlantic Council. .
The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine caused the flight of millions of people and the death of thousands of civilians, according to the United Nations, which places this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939) .-1945).
Source: TSF
