While Ukraine may not have gotten exactly what it wanted from this week’s NATO summit – a firm timetable and roadmap for joining the military alliance – there were plenty of other things on offer at the two-day meeting.
A number of nations used the opportunity to announce new military aid packages for Ukraine, promising more tanks, more armored vehicles, more ammunition and air-defense and longer-range missiles; more may be yet to come as President Zelensky’s bi-lateral meetings continue.
Here is a summary of what was promised:
Germany
Germany, Ukraine’s second biggest supplier of arms to resist the Russian full-scale invasion, pledged another €700 million ($771 million) in military assistance to Kyiv.
It includes 25 refurbished Leopard tanks along with 40 Marder armored infantry fighting vehicles and 2 Patriot air defense missile launchers and missiles.
The German defense ministry said in a statement it would also send an “extensive package” for reconnaissance and drone defense, a Luna drone system and two military transport aircraft.
The equipment comes from existing supplies of the Bundeswehr armed forces as well as output from partner manufacturers.
France
An unspecified number of SCALP medium range air-to-ground missiles, the French equivalent of the Storm Shadow missiles provided by Britain.
French President Macron said the new missile delivery was designed to allow Ukraine to strike at Russian occupation forces “in depth” during its counteroffensive to liberate its territory.
Russia Deploys Improved Kh-101 Cruise Missile – Shorter Range, Larger Warhead
“The first missiles had been delivered when the president announced it,” a source told AFP, speaking at the summit. The SCALP/Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French weapon with a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles) – the longest of any Western weapon supplied to Ukraine so far – and Britain announced in May that it would supply a batch of the advanced weapons.
Russia reacted with fury, warning that London risked being dragged directly into the conflict, and even some Western allies were concerned that Kyiv might conduct strikes into Russia itself.
Norway
Norway is sending 2 more NASAMS air defense systems including 2 additional fire control centers, 2 launchers and spare parts as well as 1,000 Black Hornet reconnaissance drones.
Norway’s government said Tuesday it was pledging an additional 2.5 billion kroner ($240 million) of military aid to Ukraine, bringing the total to 10 billion kroner ($990 million) for the year.
“The defensive war being waged by Ukraine... is being fought now. It is now that [aid] is really necessary,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Gahr Store told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
The funds will be taken from a 75-billion-kroner ($7.4 billion) purse the Scandinavian country has earmarked for civilian and military aid to Ukraine over the period 2023 to 2027.
In practice, Oslo will this year allocate 10 billion kroner ($990 million) to military aid and 7.5 billion kroner ($743 million) to civilian support, rather than the 7.5 billion kroner ($743 million) initially planned for each. Store did not specify how the funds would be used or what equipment would be purchased.
Australia
Australia ramped up its support for Ukraine on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania overnight, pledging to send an additional fleet of 30 armored Bushmaster infantry vehicles at a cost of $67 million [USD].
But Kyiv has also asked Australia about the condition of dozens of retired F-18 fighter aircraft, which could provide a major boost against the might of the Russian air force.
A powerful defense package, full details not yet known but which will include 30 Bushmaster mine-resistant armored personnel carriers.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said conversations about providing aircraft were “ongoing,” but were much more difficult than other forms of military support.
“Aircraft become a much more complicated question,” he told national broadcaster ABC.
“The situation around aircraft is pretty complicated, but we will keep having the conversation with Ukraine around that.
“What we give, and what we do, needs to be practical and needs to make a difference.”
Canada
Canada will send an unspecified number or types of armored vehicles.
Japan
Japan will send an unspecified drone detection system.
UK
The UK will send more than 70 combat and transport vehicles and thousands of rounds of ammunition for Challenger 2 tanks.
Sweden
Sweden signed agreements on the exchange of classified intelligence and defense procurement.
G7 Nations
Sign a new framework agreement providing for long-term bilateral security commitments with Ukraine to include military equipment, increased intelligence sharing, expanded military training assistance in the development of the military-industrial complex.
US
The possibility of supplying Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles to be discussed — the White House.
F-16 TRAINING
The coalition of 11 nations will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter aircraft in August in Denmark, and a training center will be set up in Romania.
The training program will leave Ukrainian pilots and service personnel able to use F-16s in combat by early next year (if there is agreement to supply aircraft).
Coalition nations: Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and UK.
Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP)
Supplies of non-lethal assistance to Ukraine will be formalized into a multi-year program.
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Comments (5)
"Australia ramped up its support for Ukraine on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania overnight, pledging to send an additional fleet of 30 armored Bushmaster infantry vehicles at a cost of $67 million [USD]. "
67 Million USD is Approximately $AUD 97,967,534 or $AUD 3,265,584 per Bullshitmaster for Ukraine
17 MAY 2023
"The Australian Government has signed a $AUD 60 million contract with Thales Australia to deliver an additional 78 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles for the Australian Defence Force.
Bushmasters will continue to be manufactured in Bendigo, Victoria, with the first delivery expected in 2024." 60 million divided by 78 = 2,051282 per Bullshitmaster for Australia. How is it that there is such a gigantic discrepancy between $3,265,584 for Ukraine and $2,051282 for new builds of Bullshitmaster in Australia for Australia that the Australian Army has not asked for and do not need?
There is no evidence that anyone from Ukraine has asked for Australian patrol boats. Australia is pointlessly spending 285 million on training on MRH90 Eurocopter helicopters and 165 million on Eurocopter Tiger helicopters with Hellfire missiles when they should be in Poland or Ukraine. The replacement Blackhawks and Apaches have already arrived but there is no evidence that the Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia has ever asked for the helicopters to go to Poland or Ukraine. The Blackhawks and Apache have their own separate budget and have arrived so it is even more ludicrous for Australians to be paying themselves 285 and 165 million for training and pointless certifications when eurocopters could be saving Ukrainian lives. It is a scandal that Australian aid to Ukraine is always centred on the Bushmaster Bullshitmaster. Or the ex-Chinese-boat-engine Thales 7t deathtrap called Hawkei all 1,000 of which should be dumped on Ukraine even though they are newly built when the UK is finishing with Panther 7t PMV. Ukraine deserves the best and not garbage. There is plenty of Australian garbage that should be dumped on Ukraine as better than some of the other Australian garbage and better than nothing. Thales Bullshitmasters are surrounded by myths, marketing, propaganda, lies, war-profiteering and corruption. Australia has new Assault Breachers. Please publicly ask for the Eurocopter MRH90 and Tiger with Hellfire helicopters.
Who wants properly marked M113 and Bushmaster ambulances? Painted pink?. With international and Ukrainian, Belarus and Russian contractors including possibly the Fiji Army and with proper reasonably secure frequency hopping radios and able to treat Russians and accept the surrender of Russians. Which the International Red Cross has failed to do. Who wants armoured ambulances named Pink Cross or Pink Kangaroo or Fiji Ambulance? Who wants properly marked equipment that clears mines specifically only for ambulances on routes marked with pink tape and pink flags ?
Who has the job in NATO of asking Australia to send ASLAVs that Australia is replacing with Boxers, Eurocopter MH90 that are being replaced with even more Blackhawks, Eurocopter Tigers with Hellfire Missiles that are being replaced with Apaches, Patrol Boats that are being replaced with more Patrol Boats, Abrams that are being replaced with more Abrams, the 7ton Thales shitbox called Hawkei that hopefully the Americans will replace with 1,000 JLTVs? Who in NATO has the job of asking Australia to at least match Canada in aid to Ukraine? The Australia Defence budget is 30 percent larger than Canada. Canada did buy some Australian Hornets and there are plenty more in Australia. Who has the job in NATO of asking Australia for Hornets? Is the war-profiteering scum called Thales that could have been one cause of this invasion by selling so much high-technology Night Vision to Russia being investigated by NATO? If anyone in NATO wants to feel proud about the support they give Ukraine they should look at the laughable cardboard drones that Australia sent to Ukraine. Feel free to ring the Head of Army in Australia and ask for a cardboard box drone for your cat. Cats love cardboard boxes.
The Australian Defence budget is 100 billion over two years. Even at the inflated con-job war-profiteer price of $2 million down from the previous prices of 3 and 2.5 million that is equivalent to Fifty Thousand Bullshitmasters (Thales Bushmaster). They were only ever ordered on the gigantic lie that they would be 1/3 the price of amphibious ASLAVs with 25mm Autocannons. From the equivalent of 50,000 Bullshitmasters how many Bullshitmasters are in Ukraine and functioning?