“If allies face a alternative between assembly NATO functionality targets and offering extra support to Ukraine, my message is obvious: Ship extra to Ukraine,” he mentioned, including that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would attend a NATO-Ukraine Council on Friday.
Shortly after Stoltenberg’s press convention, NATO introduced he would be a part of the G-7 international ministers’ assembly in Italy on Thursday, the place they’re set to debate Ukraine and the Center East.
A Russian airstrike killed 13 Ukrainians on Wednesday, an incident that Zelenskyy mentioned might have been prevented if Kyiv had acquired enough Western navy support upfront.
POLITICO reported Wednesday that Germany’s Overseas Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock and Protection Minister Boris Pistorius are launching an “Rapid Motion on Air Defence” initiative to steer companions in NATO and past to ship urgently wanted air protection methods to Ukraine.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who’s extensively anticipated to succeed Stoltenberg later this 12 months, mentioned throughout the identical press convention that the Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic “will take into account … in what methods we are able to [give] assist to this German initiative.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen additionally supported calls to beef up Kyiv’s air protection capabilities.
“We welcome Germany’s determination simply few days in the past to donate one more Patriot system to Ukraine. And I feel the necessary query … to ask ourselves, are we not higher off sending a couple of of our personal air protection methods to Ukraine at a time after they — not we — are struggling every day to combat off the unending Russian assault?” Frederiksen mentioned.
“We all know we now have methods in Europe. A few of them want now to be delivered into Ukraine,” she added.
