NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine “simply cannot wait” for more air defenses to counter Moscow’s intensified aerial bombardment campaigns that Ukrainian officials said have destroyed nearly all critical energy infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city that borders Russia.
“Delays in delivery of air defenses will allow Russian missiles to hit more targets and delays in delivery of ammunition will allow Russia to press along the front line,” said Stoltenberg on Wednesday, April 10.
“Ukraine simply cannot wait. It needs air defenses, ammunition and aid now,” Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg’s comments came amidst Kyiv’s repeated calls for the West to supply more Patriot missile systems to counter Russia’s missiles, which the latter has been able to produce and procure from abroad despite ongoing Western sanctions.
NATO promised to look into its inventories following Kyiv’s plea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow’s intensified bombing campaigns in Kharkiv are its attempts to “do everything possible to drive people out of Kharkiv and the region” during a recent meeting in Kharkiv.
He also told German news outlet Bild that he does not rule out another major Russian offensive on the city since it holds “great symbolic importance” to Moscow – with Ukraine’s second largest city having been its former capital through much of the Soviet Union – but Kyiv has been “taking every possible measure” to halt Russian advances on the city.
Ukraine Ramps Up Production of Bohdana Self-Propelled Howitzers
In March, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Kharkiv would be a “fatal city” for Russian troops should Moscow decide to launch a major offensive on the regional capital.
In one of the recent missile strikes on Kharkiv, Moscow employed a “double-tap” tactic that struck the same location soon after the first strike, killing a number of rescuers. Since Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, more than 20,000 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv.
As the full-scale invasion reached its three-year mark in February, hints of war fatigue in the West have been apparent, with Kyiv’s Western allies failing to provide the one million shells they had pledged last year and the $60 billion military aid package Washington proposed last year nowhere to be seen, though the latter announced on Tuesday the sales of $138 million worth of urgently needed military equipment to Ukraine to repair and upgrade its HAWK missile systems.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
Comments (5)
I do not envy Stoltenberg's job as secretary general of NATO. It must be like herding cats. Their policy of everyone having to agree before any action is taken seems more to prevent those who are in favor of bold action from doing anything at all. The absolute worst decision made in the war so far was to deny Ukraine even provisional NATO membership when President Zelinsky requested it in 2022. It could have prevented the atrocity that was Mariupol.
Ukraine gets told not to hit oil refineries yet gets its dams and energy blown up and rescuers targeted. Tell Austin to go fuck himself. Pardon me for my language.
@John, Hi new John. I am wondering if you meant to post your comment on this Kyivpost article about what Austin had said, as on this one on what Stoltenberg says it is not as relevant.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/30908
For the record I also strongly do not believe the USA should be telling Ukraine what they cannot target in russia, providing it is in keeping with NATO / Geneva convention rules. Targeting russia's oil refineries is certainly fair game!
Given the failure of the Biden admin to get their proposed Ukraine Aid package around putinrump's stalling MRGA minions in the US House, I feel the US has for the time being lost lost its right to control Ukraine's war strategy. In this desperate time Ukraine must do whatever works best for it.
so what would be the point of this chatter? should we send these sandwiches to the front or not?
Americans are still paying for the so called War on Terrorism to the tune of 8 trillion dollars and the loss of 600,000 lives. Syria alone is costing American taxpayers 2.1Trillion YTD. All of this puts the current 60M Ukraine package into proper perspective. Not all equipment military equipment given to Ukraine is old. The bottom line is that we cannot afford more and more war. I want All of Ukraine to be free and Russians go back to Moscow and have a second Peoples revolution for freedom.
With Russia on a war footing while NATO nations scrabble around looking for ammunition and military hardware to repel invading forces, I wonder what would NATO do in terms of coordination, if a NATO member was attacked. From what we’ve seen so far, there would be much talk, much wishful thinking, and little coordinated action. Having so many separate nations comprising the alliance is both a strength and a weakness. If NATO as an organisation, or NATO members separately, want to provide a concerted and coordinated war front to counter Russian expansion, who is going to manage this? (Manage in the sense of issuing orders to produce a collective effect.). I think NATO should be in charge of its members in this time of conflict, at least as far as ensuring appropriate measures are taken.