Kyiv has stepped up calls for Western allies to increase supplies of air defence equipment as Ukraine’s autumn counter-offensive failed to make significant gains and the front line remained unchanged.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday:
“Russia has amassed a large missile stockpile ahead of winter, and we see new attempts to strike Ukraine’s power grid and energy infrastructure, trying to leave Ukraine in the dark and cold. We must not underestimate Russia. Russia’s economy is on a war footing.”
The warning from the head of the US-led military alliance, which Ukraine has applied to join, came amid European and American wrangling over new financial aid packages for Ukraine, raising questions about the longevity of Western support amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said he did not see a “sense of fatigue” among NATO members over support for Ukraine.
On Thursday, European Council President Charles Michel called for a defence alliance. He emphasised the need to both continue to support Ukraine and to ensure Europe’s own security. In a speech to a defence conference, Michel said that “the time has come to create a true defence alliance combined with a true single defence market”. He added Europe should focus on two goals:
“First, our support – our ironclad military support for the people of Ukraine – because Ukraine security is our security, it is all of our security. And second, I repeat again, we must make our defence – our European defence – stronger now, tomorrow and in the future.”
Michel emphasised that there was still much to be done, noting Europe’s unprecedented assistance to Ukraine. He stated:
“We all know that we need to do more—more missiles, more ammunition, more air defence systems and faster. And it’s an obligation—an obligation toward the Ukrainian people, but also towards our citizens. By protecting Ukraine, we protect ourselves, and our continued strong military support also sends a signal to our partners, especially our American allies—a clear signal that we take our security more seriously than ever.”
Michel also called for better coordination of defence spending in Europe, more funding for the defence industry and a greater role for the European Defence Agency.
