Faced with Ukraine's growing defense wish list, NATO defense ministers agreed after a two-day meeting to provide Kyiv with more weaponry and training for its nearly yearlong struggle to fend off Russia's invasion.
The move reflects Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for vastly more heavy weaponry and ammunition – not to mention missiles, tanks and fighter jets – to launch an expected spring counteroffensive against Russian forces.
"This includes stepping up our support for Ukraine; strengthening our deterrence and defense, with the right forces, capabilities and stockpiles; and protecting our critical infrastructure, by strengthening our military planning and our cooperation with industry," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a press conference Wednesday after the ministers' meeting concluded in Brussels.
"We need to step up even more because there's a big need out there to provide Ukraine with ammunition," he said. "This is now becoming a grinding war of attrition and a war of attrition is a war of logistics. And therefore this is so crucial for our ability to ensure that Ukraine wins, is able to retake territory and launch offensives that ensures that it's able to win the war and to prevail as a sovereign independent nation."
Stoltenberg said additional military support for Ukraine from NATO's allies is being accompanied by critically needed stores of food, fuel, medical supplies, counter drone systems and amphibious bridges, because there are no signs Russia is preparing for peace as it wages Europe's biggest conflict since World War II.
"On the contrary, Russia is launching new offensives," he said, adding that ministers also discussed their commitment to other partners at risk including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova. "Ukraine has a window of opportunity to tip the balance. And time is of the essence."
#NATO Ministers meet at a critical time. It is almost one year since #Russia's brutal invasion of an independent sovereign nation. Moscow underestimated #Ukraine's bravery & NATO unity. We will step up & sustain our support for as long as it takes. #defmin pic.twitter.com/nC7LerTMai
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) February 14, 2023
Ukraine's front line
Zelenskyy told a joint news conference Wednesday in Kyiv with visiting Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson that the situation near the eastern city of Bakhmut was the most difficult on the front line, but Ukrainian forces are preventing Russia from advancing.
"Of all the situations in our country, the most difficult and hottest is in the Bakhmut direction," said Ukraine's president. "I would also add the Vuhledar direction. In general, it is not easy in the east of Ukraine. But it is absolutely fairly said: Bakhmut Fortress. And this fortress is made of living people. But the people there are strong, they stand and realize that they are a fortress for Ukraine to prepare for the de-occupation of all territories."
With Ukrainian forces using thousands of rounds of ammunition a day, Western allies pledged to review their targets for munition stockpiles, improve warehousing and work more closely with the defense industry to ramp up production.
Mindful of the explosions in late September that caused four leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 undersea pipelines for bringing natural gas from Russia to Europe, NATO launched a new project to better secure pipelines, cables and other critical undersea infrastructure.
"It will facilitate engagement with industry, and bring key military and civilian stakeholders together to share best practices, leverage innovative technologies and boost the security of our undersea infrastructure," said Stoltenberg.
Though world leaders blamed the Kremlin for the pipeline sabotage – on the theory that Moscow would want to weaken Europe's energy security despite the profits Russia reaps – no conclusive evidence was found to determine the culprit. The leaks happened in the exclusive economic zones of Sweden and Denmark.
Another hot topic was NATO allies' 2014 pledge to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024. Stoltenberg said leaders will likely not make any decisions on whether to extend the pledge beyond 2024 until they meet for a NATO summit at Lithuania's capital Vilnius in July.
"More countries are now spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense," he said, adding his recommendation to start regarding that target as a floor rather than a ceiling. "This trend is expected to continue this year. But more needs to be done."
