NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday 5 April, on the eve of a ministerial meeting of the Allies in Brussels on 6 and 7 April, that the war in Ukraine was entering a crucial phase with the redeployment of Russian troops.
Saying that the “fierce resistance” of the Ukrainian armed forces was forcing Russia to change its plans, Mr Stoltenberg warned that Russia was withdrawing its troops from Kyiv “to regroup, rearm and resupply”.
“In the coming weeks, we expect a new Russian push into eastern and southern Ukraine, to try to take the whole of the Donbas region and create a land bridge to Crimea,” he told a press conference, adding that this was a “crucial phase of the war”.
The Secretary General felt that the few weeks of redeployment should be used to provide additional support to Ukraine. “After (this redeployment), I am afraid we will see a big offensive in the Donbass,” he said.
At their meeting, NATO foreign ministers will therefore once again discuss support for Ukraine. “Allies are committed to providing additional support to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons, air defence systems,” said Mr Stoltenberg, reiterating that NATO will seek to provide cyber security assistance and equipment to help Ukraine protect itself against chemical and biological threats.
On Thursday, the Allied Ministers will meet with their Ukrainian Foreign Affairs counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, who will brief them on the latest developments, including Kyiv’s negotiations with Moscow.
Representatives from Finland, Sweden, Georgia, the EU, and partners in the Asia-Pacific region - Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea - will join the Allies to discuss the war, “because this crisis has global implications that concern us all”, according to Mr Stoltenberg.
Beyond Ukraine, the Allies could decide to step up support for other Alliance partners that are “vulnerable to Russian threats and interference”, including Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “By stepping up our political and practical support, we can help our partners build resilience and prevent future aggression,” said the Secretary General.
The Allies could also decide to deepen cooperation with Asia-Pacific partners, including in areas such as arms control, cyber security, hybrid forces and technology.
Ministers will also discuss work to develop NATO’s next Strategic Concept, which is to be adopted at the Madrid Summit in June.
Finally, the Allies will approve the charter of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), a €1 billion innovation fund launched last October (see EUROPE 12818/7). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)