The Ukrainians do not lack courage, they lack ammunition,” he insisted to the press in Brussels. After a little more than two years of war, the Ukrainian army is short of manpower and in need of munitions and air defense systems to contain an offensive Russian army.
“NATO Allies are not providing enough ammunition to Ukraine and this has consequences on the battlefield every day,” Stoltenberg said. “It’s a huge challenge and it’s one of the reasons why the Russians have been able to make some advances on the battlefield,” he added.
“Political will”
“The United States, Canada and Europe must do more and we need long-term commitments,” said Stoltenberg, who continues to urge Allies to do more for Ukraine. .
The problem is not a lack of capabilities in defense industries, it is a question of “political will” needed to “make the decisions and prioritize our support for Ukraine”, he said. -he adds.
Fears of Ukraine’s defeat by Russia due to lack of sufficient weapons have grown in recent weeks, after several advances by Russian forces on the battlefield. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his Western allies at the end of February to deliver their military aid to his country “on time”.
Billions of Americans stranded
American aid amounting to more than 60 billion euros is still blocked in Congress due to the reluctance of Republican elected officials supporting former President Donald Trump. However, the White House announced Tuesday $300 million in aid for Ukraine. It includes anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition and artillery shells.
The Europeans, for their part, reached an agreement on Wednesday to add five billion euros to a military aid fund for Ukraine.
This article is originally published on bluewin.ch
