NATO Does Not Consider Itself a Participant in Conflict with Russia, But Will Continue Supplies to Kyiv: Stoltenberg

NATO does not consider itself a participant in the conflict with Russia, but it is supplying Kyiv with increasingly sophisticated equipment and weaponry and will continue to do so. This statement was made by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a press conference held in Brussels upon arriving for a meeting of defense ministers from alliance countries.

“Neither NATO nor NATO allies are part of the conflict. We are providing support to Ukraine, which is defending itself. It has the right to defend itself, and we have the right to help Ukraine. Therefore, NATO and its allies are not part of the conflict, but we support Ukraine,” Stoltenberg was quoted by TASS.

According to the head of the North Atlantic Alliance, “the types of weapons being supplied and the course of the war have changed.” He added, “Initially, it was important to provide light anti-tank weapons, then advanced artillery systems, and it became clear that advanced air defense systems were necessary, and now heavy weaponry.”

The Secretary General noted that the military conflict began “not in February 2022, but in 2014, and since then NATO allies have been providing assistance to Ukraine.” Stoltenberg also stated that tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and ammunition are now NATO's priority for supplies to Ukraine—aircraft are not the most urgent issue at this time, but discussions continue.

“The topic of aircraft is not urgent right now. We are consulting about the types of systems that should be supplied to Ukraine,” he said, emphasizing that currently, the priority is the supply of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and ammunition to Ukraine. “The urgent need now is to deliver what has already been promised. And this will be the key topic of today's meeting,” he added.