BRUSSELS – NATO member states will continue to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons and long-range systems, and a new support package for Kyiv will be agreed by the allies in consultation with the Ukrainian Defense Minister, NATO Secretary General said on Wednesday.
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: “Ukraine is in a very critical situation, so urgent assistance is needed.”
A two-day NATO meeting is underway as the battle in eastern Ukraine enters a critical phase, with Russia gaining steady gains and control over much of the resource-rich Donbas region. Ukraine has begged for more heavy weapons to counter Moscow’s predominance of long-range artillery.
Later Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, will chair a private meeting of a group of countries that are supporting Ukraine militarily. Although outside of NATO’s umbrella, the group includes nearly 50 countries and will work with Ukrainian officials to review Kyiv’s real-time needs.
“People will exchange notes about their observations, what they are hearing and seeing,” said US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith. “They will look at what additional security assistance they can provide in the short, medium and long term to help Ukraine win this war. And the United States will make it clear that we continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine for as long as we can.”
On Wednesday evening, there will be a working dinner on Ukraine with the participation of Ukrainian officials and of partners, such as the European Union, Sweden, Finland, Georgia and Moldova.
The meeting will show unity, but as the war continues, some Western allies are quietly urging a ceasefire as their economies grapple with inflation and rising gas prices. On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron of France said at a news conference that the conflict would eventually have to end with negotiations. “At some point, when we will do our best to help Ukraine resist – when, I hope, they win and cease fire – we will have to negotiate,” he said.
His remarks came as a senior Pentagon official repeated the standard US position on Tuesday that the United States would not pressure Ukraine to negotiate a ceasefire and decisions like so it’s up to the democratically elected government of Ukraine. Mr. Stoltenberg said the same thing.
The war in eastern Ukraine has become an artillery barrage marked by sieges of major cities, a conflict in favor of Russia’s much larger army. Without aid from NATO member states, Ukraine would be in a much worse situation than it is now.
Ukraine has demanded more and more sophisticated weapons and expressed frustration that the delivery of heavy weapons promised by its Western allies has been slow.
“NATO leaders have recognized the urgency, and have significantly increased in the last month since the invasion,” Mr. Stoltenberg said. But the allies also want to ensure that the sophisticated new equipment can be put to good use, and that involves training in both operations and maintenance.
“Allies are committed to continuing to provide the military equipment that Ukraine needs to prevail, including heavy weapons and long-range systems,” he said.
The war in Ukraine has posed a huge challenge to NATO and the security architecture that has helped maintain peace on the continent since World War Two. The conflict initially divided the European Union and NATO. But anger over President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion has been a unifying force, although some rifts remain over issues like NATO expansion.
Ministers at the meeting will also discuss Sweden and Finland’s desire to join the union. Their invitation to do so was blocked by Turkey, which has made demands from both countries on issues such as Kurdish secession, terrorism, the extradition of a number of individuals to Turkish courts. States and restrictions on the sale of weapons.
