NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has been in Kyiv again – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

– When we do not deliver, it is a matter of life and death in Ukraine, it is the Ukrainians who pay the price, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday.

He and President Volodymyr Zelenskyj have met in Kyiv.

Stoltenberg says that 99 percent of the arms support comes from NATO countries, but that there have been serious delays.

– It is not too late, Ukraine can win, said Stoltenberg.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has repeatedly asked the world for more arms support.

A week and a half ago, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance has decided to give Ukraine more air defense systems. And he also emphasized that at Monday’s press conference.

– I expect announcements about arms aid quickly, said Stoltenberg. But he did not say anything more concrete about how much, what or when.

Asks member states to prioritize

At the press conference on Monday, Stoltenberg said that when the members of the alliance are considering money for Ukraine or building up their own weapons stockpiles, they should prioritize Ukraine.

– Stockpiles can be built up, but lives cannot be replaced, said Stoltenberg.

But the NATO countries have not delivered what they were supposed to, according to Stoltenberg. He says it means that Ukraine does not have enough ammunition and has meant that Russian forces have been able to push forward.

And that Russia has managed to attack to a greater extent from the air with missiles, he said in Kyiv on Monday. Stoltenberg was keen to ensure that the promises from the member states are now real.

Believe in Ukrainian Nato membership

– I thank you for the friendship and leadership that the Ukrainian president has shown, said Stoltenberg. But said that leadership and courage are not enough to win a war. Weapons and ammunition are then also needed.

Stoltenberg also said that he and Zelenskyj also discussed the upcoming NATO summit in Washington this summer.

He said that all countries in Nato must agree that the country should become a member, and that they are not there yet. But Jens Stoltenberg is sure that agreement will come.

– I look forward to Ukraine’s flag flying outside NATO’s headquarters, said Stoltenberg.

Support from the USA

Stoltenberg also pointed out that major changes have taken place in recent weeks, and referred to, among other things, the US aid package, and that Great Britain has presented the largest support package to Ukraine since the conflict broke out.

Last week, US President Joe Biden signed the long-awaited aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

The aid to Ukraine is 61 billion dollars, which corresponds to just over 670 billion Norwegian kroner at today’s exchange rate.

– This will make the United States and the world safer, said Biden.

The following day came the news that Ukraine had for the first time used American long-range missiles in battles against Russian forces.

The EU has also promised more support, on 1 February they promised fifty billion euros, above the EU budget.

Money from Nordic countries

Norway has also recently said that they are giving billions to more air defense in Ukraine.

– The news reports every morning about Russian missiles and drones that have hit civilian buildings, power plants, and killed a lot of people. Ukraine has managed to protect itself against this, but it is starting to run out, Jonas Gahr Støre told TV 2, two days after NATO promised more support.

And a broad political majority in Denmark has agreed to increase military support to Ukraine by 4.4 billion Danish kroner in 2024. This means that Denmark will give a total of 64.8 billion Danish kroner over the next four years.