NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that delays in the delivery of military aid from the Allies have undermined Ukraine’s trust in them, but NATO’s increased role in this process can solve the problem.
As reported by Ukrinform, Stoltenberg said this in an interview Reuters after a visit to Kyiv.
“Ukraine’s trust in its NATO allies has cracked due to delays in the supply of weapons to fight against the invasion of the Russian Federation,” Stoltenberg emphasized.
In his opinion, such “failures” indicate the need to review the coordination of international military aid to Kyiv.
“We need a more robust, institutional framework for our support to ensure predictability, greater accountability and burden sharing,” Stoltenberg said.
As an example of the unsuccessful actions of NATO allies, he cited the six-month delay by the US Congress in approving a $60 billion aid package to Ukraine, as well as the failure of European countries to deliver as much artillery ammunition as promised to Ukraine.
Read also: The meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council will be held on May 16
These shortcomings had a serious impact on the battlefield, as the Russian Federation gained the initiative, while Ukrainian forces, short on ammunition, were forced to go on the defensive, Stoltenberg noted.
“Of course, the fact that we have not fulfilled what we promised undermines trust,” he emphasized.
The secretary general said one way to avoid a future shortfall in military aid to Ukraine is to give NATO a greater coordinating role and develop a multi-year plan that clearly defines the contributions expected from each ally.
He made the proposal to NATO’s 32 members and said it must be backed up by major financial commitments.
Read also: Ukraine can gain an advantage on the battlefield – Stoltenberg
“It will make planning easier. It will make it clear what each ally should do,” Stoltenberg said.
“And then NATO will be able to play a bigger role in ensuring that allies really do what they promised,” he added.
As reported, on April 29, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made an unannounced visit to Ukraine, the third since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Photo: nato.int
