Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO must create ‘even higher readiness’ and strengthen its weapons capabilities along its eastern frontier, according to the military alliance’s chief on Tuesday.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said following informal talks in the Netherlands with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and leaders from Denmark, Poland, Latvia, Romania, Portugal, and Belgium ahead of a larger NATO summit in Madrid at the end of the month..
‘We will agree to a significant tightening of our posture in Madrid,’ he said. ‘We discussed tonight the necessity for a more robust and combat-ready forward presence, as well as increased preparedness and more pre-positioned equipment and supplies.’
Stoltenberg responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s earlier Tuesday appeal for more long-range weapons by saying he agreed that Kyiv should be supplied with more heavy armament, but provided no details.
‘Ukraine should have more heavy weapons,’ Stoltenberg said. ‘NATO allies and partners have provided heavy weapons… and they are also stepping up.’
‘In terms of weaponry, we all agree that it is critical for Russia to lose the battle,’ Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters in The Hague. ‘And because we cannot have a direct clash between NATO soldiers and Russian troops, what we must do is ensure that Ukraine can fight that war and has access to the essential armaments.’
When asked about Sweden and Finland’s applications to join the alliance, Stoltenberg said he was looking for a ‘unified way ahead’ to overcome Turkey’s reluctance, which has been enraged by what it sees as Swedish support for Kurdish rebels.
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