NATO chief urges members to provide Ukraine with long-term military help
Al Jazeera
Stoltenberg says Kyiv had ‘urgent needs’ and delays in providing support can have consequences on the battlefield.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said alliance members must guarantee long-term weapon deliveries for Ukraine, as ministers discussed a proposal for a 100-billion-euro ($107bn), five-year fund.
Speaking before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, Stoltenberg said Kyiv had “urgent needs,” adding that “any delay in providing support has consequences on the battlefield as we speak.”
“We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul so that we rely less on the voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments, less on short-term offers and more on multiyear pledges,” he said.
Separately on Wednesday, Ukraine lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 as it aimed to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war.
A shortage of infantry combined with a severe ammunition shortfall has helped hand Russian troops the initiative.
