Defense Minister Helena Carreiras admitted this Tuesday in Brussels that Portugal is also among the countries already experiencing a “shortage” of war reserves. The minister justifies it with “decades of disinvestment” and calls for “coordination” to speed up production.
“We all feel this deficit, there were decades of defense divestment, of defense industries divestment itself, and we all feel this need,” said Helena Carreiras, noting that “it is even more important that we coordinate this effort to produce and make this munitions that we really don’t have right now”.
The minister spoke in Brussels, on the sidelines of the meeting of Defense portfolio holders and representatives of the contact group for Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had warned on Monday of the need for Western defense industries to increase production capacity to keep pace with the war. Stoltenberg warns that the war in Ukraine is “exhausting the reserves of the Allies”.
The minister also called for coordination among all members of the contact group for Ukraine: “Realizing a successful logistics operation requires greater coordination in transport, training and maintenance”. Helena Carreiras finds it relevant “to think about war reserves, munitions, think about industrial development”.
Regarding sending the three Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the minister said Portugal is waiting for “a technical visit to assess resources” so that the transport can be planned, which should take place “mid-March”.
“I have just had a meeting with my German counterpart and we are going to make a technical visit to assess resources,” revealed the minister, who said it was a “very important step and with this plan and formulation we will can fulfill the purpose of having our chariots ready”.
The Allies have reiterated their call for the early delivery of promised equipment to Ukraine, taking into account “the analysis we are making of this conflict, [com] the prediction of a major offensive,” the minister emphasized.
“It is necessary to join forces and do it faster (…) time saves lives, [e] speed saves lives and that is why all countries must think more quickly about their donations and their contribution,” emphasized Helena Carreiras, for whom “the decisive months will be April [e] May”, and that is why it is important “to ensure that Ukraine can prepare for this major offensive”.
Source: DN
