The debate about the possible dispatch of combat aircraft a Ukraine will be on the table of the NATO Defense ministerial meeting this Tuesday and Wednesday, but what is urgent right now, according to the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenbergis to send arms and ammunition in Kyiv and do it with extreme speed because the rate at which the Ukrainian Army spends ammunition to defend itself against the aggression of Russia is greater than that of production. “We are in a logistics career. Key capabilities such as ammunition, fuel and components must reach Ukraine before Russia can take the initiative on the battlefield. Speed will save lives”, he warned on the eve of the ministerial meeting and of the meeting that will be held by the contact group for the defense of Ukraine from Ramsteinthat they command the united statesin which to coordinate contributions.
The two meetings, in which the Ukrainian Minister of Defense will participate, Oleksi Réznikov, are taking place less than two weeks from the first anniversary of the war and the allies will take the opportunity to close ranks with Kyiv again and show it their full support. “Yes [Vladímir] Putin wins in Ukraine, the message to him and other authoritarian regimes is that the use of force is rewarded. That would make the world more dangerous and all of us more vulnerable,” so “we must continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to win. And to achieve a just and sustainable peace”, he said during his usual preliminary appearance.
According to the allied leader, not only is the Russian president not preparing for peace or to negotiate some kind of agreement that respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, he has launched new offensives to control Ukraine, sending more weapons and means to pressure Kyiv. “What President Putin is doing now is sending thousands and thousands more troops, accepting a very high casualty rate, taking heavy losses, but putting pressure on the Ukrainians. Try to balance quantity with quality. They are willing to send these forces and take a high number of casualties. This only emphasizes the importance of the right moment. It is urgent to provide more weapons to Ukraine. The faster we can supply weapons, ammunition, spare parts and fuel to the Ukrainian front, the more lives we will save”, reiterated Stoltenberg, who avoided speculating on the possible reaction from the Kremlin on February 24.
Of all these contributions, inclusive the shipment of Leopard tanks, will be discussed by the members of the contact group for the defense of Ukraine in a preliminary meeting that takes place this Tuesday at the allied headquarters. In the meetings, according to diplomatic sources, there will also be the possibility of sending combat aircraft, although they consider it a premature step. “Whatever the opinion on the possible dispatch of aircraft between the allies, this will take time. What is needed now is urgent support for Ukraine. So my top priority is to ensure that the promises that the allies have made of infantry fighting vehicles, of armored vehicles, of combat tanks, are delivered as soon as possible, because every day counts”, acknowledged Stoltenberg on what should be the number one priority now. And the day for make the promises concrete will be this Tuesday, including determining the number of Leopard tanks to send. Spain is one of the countries that have joined although they have not yet confirmed the number.
Increase the production of weapons
The ministerial meeting will also allow the Allies to continue planning their defense capability and, in particular, discuss how to increase the capacity of the defense industry, the weapons inventory and the replenishment of the arsenal. “The war in Ukraine is consuming an enormous amount of ammunition and depleting the allies’ reserves. Ukraine’s current rate of ammunition spending is many times higher than our current rate of production. This puts our defense industries under pressure”, admitted Stoltenberg, who considers it urgent to accelerate in this area given the very long delivery times what is there
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“For example, the waiting time for large-caliber ammunition has increased from 12 to 28 months”, so “the orders made now would only be delivered in two and a half years”, he specified. Hence the importance of negotiating multi-year agreements with the industry, such as those they have signed the United States, France o Norway, and strengthen production capacity because it is necessary not only to continue supporting Kyiv but to ensure that allies have enough means to protect themselves. As a result, he has also confirmed the creation of a new coordination cell in Brussels to “map our vulnerabilities and collaborate with industry” which will serve to “prevent and counter threats to critical infrastructures, including the submarine cables and the oil pipelines».
Stoltenberg also hopes that defense ministers will agree this week to establish one new virtual network of national and commercial satellitess to support intelligence and surveillance capacity. “It will allow allies to increase the exchange of spatial data with the NATO command structure, and thus facilitate better navigation, communication and early warning of missile launches.” Regarding the flying artifacts detected by Washington in recent days, although it will not be on the agenda because both the United States and Canada have given their explanations, he considers that they are part of “a pattern in which China, but also Russia, are increasing their intelligence and surveillance activities against NATO allies with many different platforms” and emphasizes the importance of increasing surveillance and intensifying intelligence.