“Sand allies are faced with the choice between meeting NATO’s capability objectives and providing more assistance to Ukraine, my message is clear: send more weapons to Ukraine”, highlighted Stoltenberg, during a press conference, after having met with the leaders of the Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
Stoltenberg further confirmed that the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting requested by the Ukrainian President will take place on Friday, with the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky and allied defense ministers to “address the most urgent support needs for Ukraine”, in particular air defense and artillery ammunition.
The meeting will take place days after Zelensky reproached his partners for Ukraine not receiving the same help as Israel, which was supported by different countries to shoot down Iranian ‘drones’ and missiles following the attack in Tehran, on the night of Saturday to Sunday. .
“Shahed drones and missiles pose different escalation risks, but are human lives and the value of people different? No, they are not. We value all lives equally,” the Ukrainian leader stressed.
NATO’s secretary general stated that it is “important for all allies to achieve and meet capability objectives.”
“But I realized that, at least in the short term, there may be a conflict between meeting all the objectives and providing what Ukraine needs now, and that’s why I made it clear that if the only way to support Ukraine is to stay falling short of NATO’s capability objectives, then that is the way forward,” he said.
The official said that this is a decision that must be taken by allies at national level, as there must be “a balance between the increase in risks that they will have to face in their own national defense”.
“But the reality is that supporting Ukraine and helping it destroy Russian combat capabilities also increases our security,” he said.
At the same time, he highlighted the importance of increasing production to replenish reserves in Allied arsenals.
Stoltenberg met today with the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, and of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, to discuss how to provide more air defense systems to Ukraine, “because the situation in battlefield remains very difficult.”
Denmark has announced a major new aid package, the Netherlands has just confirmed another €4 billion of additional military aid to Kiev, and the Czech Republic continues to lead an initiative that is raising hundreds of millions of euros to send more artillery shells for Ukraine.
Regarding the air defenses that Ukraine needs, Rutte said that Ukraine must produce more air defense systems in the medium term, study what it can provide from its own arsenals and buy what is “available around the world.”
Fiala indicated that, through the Czech initiative to supply Ukraine with more large-caliber ammunition, around 200,000 rounds have already been contracted and another 300,000 are planned.
“[Os aliados devem] balance the needs we have as members of NATO and our own deterrence and defense with everything we want to do for Ukraine”, maintained Frederiksen.
“But the message was very clear today: when we look at the battlefield, right now, we especially have to provide more ammunition and air defense,” he summarized.
Read Also: NATO criticizes “divisive rhetoric” that harms Bosnia-Herzegovina
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2542933/nato-pede-a-aliados-mais-armas-para-kyiv-mesmo-prejudicando-reservas
