In a virtual session of the NATO-Ukraine Council chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on 19 April 2024, NATO allies pledged to increase military support for Ukraine, focusing on urgent enhancements in air defence systems.
Attended by defence ministers and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the session underscored NATO’s commitment to enhancing Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
During the meeting, President Zelenskyy detailed Ukraine’s pressing military needs. Secretary General Stoltenberg announced that allies had agreed to provide further support, notably including additional air defences. “NATO has mapped out existing capabilities across the Alliance and there are systems that could be made available to Ukraine,” Stoltenberg noted, indicating imminent announcements regarding new air defence capacities for Ukraine.
The talks extended to Ukraine’s requirements for more artillery shells, deep precision strike capabilities, and drones. Notable contributions have come from Germany with an additional Patriot system, the Netherlands with an additional €4 billion in military support, Czechia’s ammunition initiative, and new pledges from Denmark and Norway.
Stoltenberg emphasised the strategic impact of NATO’s support, stating, “Ukraine is using the weapons we provide to destroy Russian combat capabilities. This makes us all safer. So support to Ukraine is not charity. It is an investment in our security.”
I’m comfortable with the terminology involved here. The facts are undeniable. If Putin’s Russia wasn’t currently locked in conflict in Ukraine it’s armed forces would be threatening, or prosecuting, another invasion against one of its other neighbours. So by keeping Russia bogged down and attritionally succumbing to our gifted weapons in Ukraine, NATO is helping to protect itself. Ukraine’s war genuinely is our war in terms of national interest.
There is no doubt that if Ukraine falls then it is just a matter of time until there is conflict between Russia and NATO
The Russians have learned the most valuable lesson of all in this conflict, namely that they are s**t and have always been s**t and if they ever tried to take on NATO they would very quickly get their asses handed to them. Fortunately they learned this lesson without actually going to war with NATO. Putin and Russia believed their own propaganda more than anyone, the only others dumb enough to go along with it were counties like China, Turkey and India all dumb enough to buy Russian weapons on mass. Much the same happened in 1991 when Saddam thought head… Read more »
The Russians do seem to adapting there tactics, so it would be unwise to totally right them off
The Russians did have some aerospace engine tech that the Chinese wanted to reverse-engineer, so they have sound reasons for buying Russian kit. Turkey bought an A2/AD system that is genuinely fairly good, if not perhaps as impressive as advertised. India knowingly trades quality against cost, presumably for the sake of combat mass, and on the assumption that the adversaries it mostly seeks to deter aren’t awash with state-of-the-art equipment either. (Even the PLAAF maintains a surprising proportion of 4th gen and even older aircraft).
Never underestimate your enemy. Have the Russians taken a mauling at the hands of the Ukrainians? – Yes totally Has Russia run out of equipment, personnel, and ordinances? – No and won’t for the foreseeable future Do they still have plenty of reserves to throw into battle? – Yes and they are currently massing for new summer offensives. Is Russia still on the offensive in Ukraine? – Yes on many fronts The lesson that should be learned here is that the ‘Axis of Autocracies ‘ has maintained a large military-industrial capacity whereas in many NATO countries that capacity has atrophied… Read more »
wrong. you obviously avoided reading up on why Putin and Russia have taken action in Ukraine. For that reason, your comment is totally invalid
Thankfully for the people of Ukraine the US has now rejoined the free world in supporting Ukraine with minimal levels of funding. As Russia’s economy and country is largely in ruins and sanctions will continue to bight I can’t see Russia ever being able to rebuild the soviet arsenal it’s now rapidly devouring and the world will be a much safer paled because of it.
Minimal levels of funding? How much has the UK contributed? Awfully arrogant for having a hollow shell of basically nothing.
The US’s defence funding levels over the past 35 years are the only reason NATO exists in its current form.
You have to compare like for like and the UK has contributed above the expected levels as a % of GDP to NATO. It is fair to say most of Europe did not. You cannot expect the UK to contribute in monetary terms the same as the USA. Thats just unrealistic due to the huge difference in economics. Interestingly, regarding Ukraine, when measured by % of GDP. The US has donated the smallest contribution with the UK the second lowest Countries like Latvia have donated significantly more of their GDP to Ukraine. The figures I saw referred to contributions before… Read more »
I fear, that similar to domestic political rhetoric, we, the UK, have talked a big game but delivered a small one. Hopefully, we are ramping up our capacity, starting with shells. However, I see and hear little regarding bigger ticket items, both for Ukraine and ourselves. Let’s hope the general election which must happen by January 2025 isn’t used as cover for inaction and indecision.
Only someone who will never step into the breach can say something as ridiculous as the NATO SecGen.