NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared Thursday in Kyiv, Ukraine, the day before meeting with the defense leaders from the U.S. and other Western nations in Germany, that Russian aggression “must be stopped.”
“We do not know when this war will end, but we know that Russian aggression is a toxic pattern that must be stopped,” Stoltenberg said ahead of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Germany, where members will discuss what military support they can provide Ukraine.
Stoltenberg met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and toured the city, according to a report by the DOD News.
The NATO chief reiterated that NATO “stands with Ukraine,” and said Ukraine’s “rightful place is in NATO.”
“Let me be clear: Ukraine’s rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family,” the secretary general said, according to the report. “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO, and over time, our support will help you make this possible.”
While NATO troops are not fighting in Ukraine against Russian forces that invaded in February 2022, the alliance has provided training for thousands of Ukrainian troops and has sent more than 150 billion euros, including 65 billion in military aid, the report said.
“This has enabled your troops to force Russia out of Kyiv, Kherson and Kharkiv,” Stoltenberg told Zelensky. “The allies are now delivering more jets, tanks and armored vehicles, and NATO’s Ukraine Fund is providing urgent support, including medical supplies, mobile satellite systems and pontoon bridges.”
Stoltenberg’s visit to Ukraine comes only a day before he meets with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other defense leaders. He said he expects new announcements of “concrete military support to Ukraine.”
An honour to be back in Kyiv & meet with President @ZelenskyyUa. #Ukraine's rightful place is in #NATO, and over time our support will help to make this possible. We stand by you today & for the long haul. pic.twitter.com/0vlKZNVY0F
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) April 20, 2023
The Biden administration this week announced a new package of $325 million in military aid to Ukraine, bringing the total up to $35.4 billion since February 2022.
It is the 36th time the U.S. military has dipped into its own stockpiles for equipment to send to Ukraine since August 2021, according to the Pentagon.
Russia seized on Stoltenberg’s visit to Ukraine as evidence that NATO and Western militaries are directly involved in the war, according to U.S. News & World Report.
According to the report, a diplomatic source told Russian state news service Tass, “Stoltenberg’s visit to Ukraine is the final stage in the preparation of the meeting in Ramstein, where measures of military support for this country will be discussed before the expected counter-offensive of the Ukrainian army.”
According to a leak of Pentagon documents, there are 100 U.S. personnel in Ukraine, including 14 American special operations forces as recently as late March.
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