NATO chief urges Europe to boost arms production
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg issues another plea to European nations to boost support for Ukraine.
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (AFP via Getty Images)
NATO's Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, has urged European nations to enhance their arms production to aid Ukraine and avert the possibility of a prolonged confrontation with Moscow.
In an interview published by German media ahead of a crucial NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels and the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Stoltenberg stressed the necessity of swiftly rebuilding and expanding the industrial base to accelerate deliveries to Ukraine and replenish NATO's supplies.
"This means shifting from slow peacetime to high-tempo conflict production," he said, as quoted by the German Sunday daily Welt am Sonntag.
Stoltenberg's remarks coincide with escalating requests for shells, ammunition, and additional military support from Ukraine. Western leaders, including Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Joe Biden, have joined the chorus, pressing US lawmakers on Friday to endorse a long-awaited military aid package for Ukraine. They emphasized that without this assistance, Kiev would be unable to withstand the ongoing war.
"The failure of the United States' Congress in not supporting Ukraine is close to criminal neglect," Biden said as he hosted Scholz in the Oval Office on Friday.
Stoltenberg said, "There is no imminent military threat against any ally. At the same time, we hear regular threats from the Kremlin against NATO countries."
The war in Ukraine nearly two years ago has shown that "peace in Europe cannot be taken for granted," the NATO chief said, stressing the importance of "protecting" countries in the alliance.
"As long as we invest in our security and stay united, we will continue to deter any aggression," he said.
"NATO does not seek war with Russia, but we need to brace ourselves for potentially decades of confrontation," he claimed while admitting, "We monitor closely what Russia does and have increased our presence in the eastern part of the alliance."
"If Putin wins in Ukraine, there is no guarantee that Russian aggression will not spread further. So supporting Ukraine now and investing in NATO’s capabilities is our best defense," he concluded by saying.
Hungarian FM affirms no arms deliveries to Ukraine
Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said as quoted by RIA Novosti that Hungary has not been involved in arms shipments to Ukraine in the past, and it maintains a steadfast stance of abstaining from such involvement amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“Hungary has never been part and we will never be part of any actions which aim at delivering weapons to Ukraine. Simply because we do believe that the more weapons are being delivered to Ukraine, the longer the war will take and the longer the war takes more destruction will take place and more people will die,” Szijjarto said on Friday.
The Foreign Minister underscored that Hungary's approval of the European Union's allocation of 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine was contingent on the stipulation that the funds should not be used for weapons deliveries.
Szijjarto stated that Budapest secured assurances from Brussels ensuring that Hungarian funds frozen by the EU would not be directed to Ukraine. Additionally, there would be the establishment of a transparent mechanism to oversee the utilization of funds allocated to Ukraine. In February, EU leaders reached a consensus to provide 50 billion euros as part of the bloc's macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, spanning until 2027.
Ukraine funding in limbo
Despite exasperations in Congress over the Ukraine military fund versus the national security crisis, US senators unveiled last week the text of a highly anticipated agreement that would allocate substantial new aid for Ukraine and the Israeli occupation entity, while simultaneously implementing stricter US border laws.
The proposed national security supplemental legislation encompasses a total funding of $118.3 billion. This includes $60 billion to support Ukraine, aligning with the White House's request, and $14.1 billion in security assistance designated for "Israel", as outlined in a summary provided by Senate Appropriations Committee chair Patty Murray.
This comes after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky cautioned that a reduction in aid from the United States to Kiev would convey a "negative message", highlighting the challenges faced by US President Joe Biden amid a Republican blockade on additional support.
Keeping in mind the possibility of reduced US aid, Zelensky called on Germany to leverage its economic influence to encourage EU partners to provide more support to Kiev in its struggle against Russia.
"Passivity from the United States or the lack of support would be a bad signal," he said, as quoted by German national broadcaster ARD.
Zelensky cautioned that such a situation would be detrimental for everyone.
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