On Tuesday 14 February, NATO members were looking for ways to speed up their deliveries of arms and ammunition to Ukraine during a meeting in Brussels, where the sensitive issue of the supply of fight to allow him to resist Russia.
"
The priority, the urgency, is to provide the Ukrainians with the armaments that have been promised to them to maintain their ability to defend themselves
", insisted Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of the transatlantic organization, before a meeting of the "
group of Ramstein
”.
“Other commitments will be made”
All decisions for arms supplies to Ukraine are taken in this forum constituted and chaired by the United States, in which some fifty countries participate.
Most of its meetings are held at the American base at Ramstein in Germany.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: the Leopard 1, an old tank dusted off by Berlin with which kyiv will first have to be satisfied
The allied countries have pledged to provide Ukraine with artillery, armored vehicles and tanks, anti-aircraft defense systems and "
other commitments will be made
", said Jens Stoltenberg.
“
Fighter jets are not the most pressing issue, but a discussion is ongoing
,” he added.
“A war of attrition and a logistical battle”
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksy Reznikov, present in Brussels, insisted in a message on his Twitter account on the need to ensure sufficient stocks of ammunition and the maintenance of equipment, to protect the Ukrainian sky and to strengthen the "
coalition chariots
”.
"
This is a war of attrition and a logistical battle
," insisted Jens Stoltenberg.
Russian President “
Vladimir Putin is not preparing for peace.
He is preparing for a new offensive, new attacks.
We must therefore continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to win
,” he explained.
Through the voice of its President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited London, Paris and Brussels last week, Ukraine is calling for fighter planes and long-range missiles.
Prioritize “useful deliveries”
The fear of being involved in the conflict blocks many allies.
"
No decision is expected Tuesday for combat aircraft
," assured several delegations.
“
Support for Ukraine has evolved since the start of the conflict.
The supply of combat aircraft will be discussed
, ”assured Jens Stoltenberg, however.
“
It will take time and the short-term priorities are ammunition and armaments promised with fuel and spare parts
,” he immediately added.
Read alsoDoes delivering arms to Ukraine make us “co-belligerents”?
"
We must give priority to useful deliveries to allow the Ukrainians to resist and to carry out operations rather than commitments which will arrive very late
", insisted French President Emmanuel Macron after his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Ammunition for the armaments supplied to the Ukrainians became the priority and the problem of the allies.
Industry under pressure
“
The current rate of ammunition use by Ukraine is much higher than our current rate of production
,” warned Jens Stoltenberg.
"
This is depleting our stocks and putting our defense industries under pressure
," he added, calling for increased production rates on the one hand and investment in production capacities on the other.
At the summit of EU heads of state and government on Thursday in Brussels, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas had suggested that member countries of the bloc use a mechanism similar to that used for the purchase of vaccines in order to push the defense industry to produce more.
“
Member States provide funds, the Commission takes care of the purchases and the aid goes directly to Ukraine
,” she pleaded.
"
That could help speed up the process
."
