'We have not delivered to Ukraine what we promised': NATO chief identifies cause of frontline problems

Photo: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (gettyimages.com)

The difficult situation on the frontline in Ukraine is caused by the fact that NATO allies have not fulfilled their promises and have not supplied Kyiv with the necessary weapons, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Bulgaria.

According to Stoltenberg, Ukrainians have liberated 50% of their territory with the military support of NATO allies. Kyiv has managed to sink many Russian ships in the Black Sea, open a corridor for the export of grain and other goods, and inflict heavy losses on Russian invading forces.

"That's the good news. The problem is that over the last months, we have not delivered to Ukraine what we promised," he says.

According to Stoltenberg, the United States spent six months agreeing on a new aid package, while European allies, who promised a million rounds of ammunition, have not delivered anything close to that amount of ammunition to Ukraine.

According to him, already in April, NATO defense ministers met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who asked for an increase in the supply of air defense systems, but the allies again failed to fulfill their promises regarding air defense.

"And of course, these gaps, these delays in military support has had consequences on the ground. It's not the kind of academic theoretical thing. The fact that they don't get ammunition, they don't get air defence, they don't get the supplies we have promised, has made it very hard for Ukrainians to defend the land. Outgunned, not able to shoot down incoming Russian missiles, outgunned on the battlefield - of course it has consequences," Stoltenberg says.

According to the NATO Secretary General, this is also the reason why the situation on the battlefield is complicated. "We see the consequences will airstrikes, the missile strikes and all the other things we see in Ukraine. And that's also reason why it is an urgent need for Allies to step up," he added.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proposed to create a fund to help Ukraine in the amount of 100 billion euros.

Stoltenberg also said that NATO would create a permanent structure to organize the supply of weapons to Ukraine and finance them. This decision may be made at the NATO summit in Washington.