“If allies must choose between meeting NATO’s capability goals and providing more aid to Ukraine, my message is clear: send more to Ukraine,” he said, adding that the president Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky would participate in a NATO-Ukraine Council on Friday.
Shortly after Stoltenberg’s news conference, NATO announced he would join the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Italy on Thursday, where they are expected to discuss Ukraine and the Middle East.
A Russian airstrike killed 13 Ukrainians on Wednesday, an incident that Zelensky said could have been avoided if kyiv had received enough Western military aid in advance.
POLITICO reported Wednesday that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius are launching an “Immediate Action on Air Defense” initiative to persuade NATO partners and beyond to send systems air defense which Ukraine urgently needs.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is expected to succeed Stoltenberg later this year, said at the same news conference that the Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic “will examine … in what ways we can (give) our support to this German project.” initiative.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also supported calls to strengthen Kyiv’s air defense capabilities.
“We welcome Germany’s decision a few days ago to donate a new Patriot system to Ukraine. And I think the important question to ask ourselves is whether we would not be better off sending a few of our own air defense systems in Ukraine at a time while they – not we – struggle daily to repel the relentless Russian attack?’” says Frederiksen.
“We know we have systems in Europe. Some of them now need to be delivered to Ukraine,” she added.
Politico
