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NATO supplies Ukraine 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks to retake territories from Russia
Agency Report
The Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, on Thursday revealed that NATO allies and partners have supplied 1,550 armoured vehicles and 230 tanks to Ukraine to assist in retaking territories from Russia.
According to Stoltenberg, the military assistance from the beginning of the war in February 2022, represents “more than 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine”.
He added: “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.”
It was noted that NATO member countries also provided anti-aircraft systems and artillery, while Poland and the Czech Republic provided Soviet-built MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine. Also, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers were trained on weapons used by NATO.
According to Stoltenberg, this “unprecedented military support to Ukraine”, adding, “we should never underestimate Russia”.
The NATO Secretary-General further said that Moscow is mobilising more ground forces and is “willing to send in thousands of troops with very high casualty rates.”
He maintained that, 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”.
Stoltenberg expressed that a NATO summit in July in Lithuania would set out plans for a “multi-year programme of support” for Ukraine.
He acknowledged a conversation Wednesday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China declared it’s neutrality in the Ukraine conflict.
Stoltenberg noted, “Maybe this war will end at the negotiating table.
“It is for Ukraine to decide what are the conditions for talks and what format any talks should have”.
In any case, Stoltenberg said, “any possibility for meaningful negotiations requires that Ukraine has the necessary military strength to send a very clear message to President (Vladimir) Putin that he will not win on the battlefield”.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has been requesting for military support from the United States (US), the European Union (EU), and other European allies in the West.