BRUSSELS: NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armoured vehicles and 230 tanks to form units and help it retake territory from Russian forces, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday (Apr 27).
The deliveries, since the start of the war in February last year, represent “more than 98 per cent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine”, Stoltenberg told a news conference.
“In total we have trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian armoured brigades. This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory,” he said.
NATO member countries have also provided anti-aircraft systems and artillery while Poland and the Czech Republic have given Soviet-built MiG-29 aircraft.
Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been trained on weapons used by NATO.
Stoltenberg emphasised this “unprecedented military support to Ukraine” but cautioned that “we should never underestimate Russia”.
Moscow was mobilising more ground forces and was “willing to send in thousands of troops with very high casualty rates,” he said.
In the face of what appears will be a prolonged conflict, NATO countries “must stay the course and continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to prevail”, the alliance chief said.
Stoltenberg said that a NATO summit in July in Lithuania would set out plans for a “multi-year programme of support” for Ukraine.
He also welcomed a conversation on Wednesday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese President Xi Jinping – their first call since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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