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Ukraine needs more military aid, the United States and NATO said on Tuesday, pledging that western support would not waver in the face of a new Russian offensive as the war marks the first full year since it began.
Western defense chiefs are meeting in Brussels to discuss new arms provisions for Kyiv, which calls for greater firepower and maintenance of existing supplies, including shells, production of which can barely keep up with the war.
“Ukraine has an urgent need to help resolve this critical moment in the war,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a meeting of allies called Ramstein.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was rushing to achieve as much as possible with the latest offensive before Kyiv and its allies could consolidate power.
‘Speed matters’
“That’s how fast it is from the pet. Speed in everything – adopting decisions, carrying out decisions, supplying ships, training. Speed saves people’s lives, speed brings security back,” he said in a video address in the evening.
Zelenskyy thanked his allies for their promises of air defense weapons, tanks, artillery, shells and training, and said that much of what had been discussed should be kept secret.
Austin said he expects the Ukrainian forces to carry out their own attacks in the spring, and Kyiv’s allies are working to ensure that they have armor, firepower and logistics to make it effective.
“We believe there will be opportunities to carry out initiatives,” Austin said.
“Kremlin still bet can wait for us to come out, but one year in we are as united as ever. That we solve problems together will help sustain Ukraine’s momentum in the important weeks ahead.”
‘There are no signs’ Putin wants peace, NATO says
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gave a similar message about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
“We don’t see any signs that President Putin is preparing for peace. What we see is the opposite, he is preparing for another war, for new attacks and new attacks,” he told reporters.
Canada’s Brandon Mitchell has spent 10 months as a medic on Ukraine’s front lines. In this extended interview, he tells CBC’s Chris Brown why he stayed despite the atrocities he saw and died.
However, the top US general, Mark Milley, said Russia had lost in the eyes of the world.
“Russia is now a global pariah and the world remains inspired by the courage and resilience of Ukraine. In short, Russia is lost: it is lost strategically, operationally and tactically,” Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.
NATO Defense Minister met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov after the Ramstein group gathering.
The alliance plans to increase its ammunition stockpile targets as Kyiv burns shells faster than the West can produce, leaving its stockpile running low.
Anti-war protesters in Russia protested crackdowns at a memorial for Ukrainians killed in a Russian attack on an apartment block in Dnipro. Russian human rights groups say at least six people have been detained for leaving flowers or toys at the memorial.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called on the national defense industry to increase its production capacity.
He said that Berlin had signed a contract with arms manufacturer Rheinmetall to restart production of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft guns sent to Kyiv.
It spent months trying to find new ammunition for the rifle, which the military itself phased out in 2010.
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