On Monday 29 April, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained from Kyiv that the Allies were working hard to provide Ukraine with the military equipment it needs, acknowledging that they had not always been up to the task.
Acknowledging at a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky that “serious delays in support have had serious consequences on the battlefield”, that Ukraine had been under-armed for months and that Russia had succeeded in making advances on the front line, Mr Stoltenberg felt that it was “not too late for Ukraine to gain the upper hand”.
“More support is on the way [...] The Allies have agreed to step up our support. That’s why we’re working hard to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs”, he explained.
The Secretary General promised that NATO was working to ensure that the Allies provide Ukraine with more air defence. He said that the Alliance was focusing on the Patriots, but also on other existing systems, and on the need to refurbish existing systems, resupply them and ensure that the systems already delivered were working as they should and that there was enough ammunition.
“Efficiency in supply literally means stabilisation of the front. 155-caliber artillery ammunition, long-range weapons and anti-aircraft defences [...] This is what the partners have, and what should now be working here in Ukraine to destroy Russian terrorist ambitions”, said Mr Zelensky. According to him, the Russian army is preparing for new offensive operations and, together with its Allies, Ukraine must disrupt the Russian offensive.
The Ukrainian President announced that his country had already received equipment following the vote in Congress, but explained that he had not obtained everything the country needed to equip its brigades. He pointed out that the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces, the ability to take the initiative and the deployment of counter-offensives depended on three conditions: bilateral financial support, timely arms deliveries and what would be delivered to Ukraine in the long term, and finally, what could be achieved with the funds provided to Ukraine.
The Secretary General and the President also discussed preparations for the NATO summit in July, which Mr Zelensky is expected to attend. He wanted his country to receive an invitation to join NATO at the summit. “This may or may not become a moment of strength for the Alliance. This is where it will be decided whether the Alliance’s enemy [Russia - editor’s note] will be able to veto the strengthening of NATO”, stressed Mr Zelensky.
But the Secretary General has poured cold water on Ukrainian hopes. While believing that Ukraine’s “rightful place” was within NATO and that it would become a member of the Alliance, Mr Stoltenberg explained that an invitation required the unanimous agreement of all 32 Allies. “I don’t expect us to get this agreement by the July summit”, he admitted. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)