(Brussels) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged NATO members to step up their support for his country as winter approaches, during his first visit to the Alliance headquarters since Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We need the support of the leaders, that is why I am here,” declared Mr. Zelensky who had said the day before he was worried about the consequences on the contribution of the allies to his country of the war between Israel and Hamas, after the The attack launched on Saturday by the Palestinian Islamist movement from Gaza.
Mr. Zelensky participated in a meeting of NATO defense ministers, as part of a surprise visit.
“Dear friends, we must win the winter battle against terror,” he declared before the member countries of the Ramstein Group, which takes its name from that of the American base in Germany where these countries are located. found for the first time in order to coordinate their military support for Ukraine.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, whose country is the main contributor to the Ukrainian war effort, wanted to reassure him at the start of the meeting. “We are here to deliver what it takes, for as long as it takes,” he said.
He announced new American military aid amounting to $200 million for Ukraine in the form of anti-aircraft defense systems, a crucial need for Ukraine before the winter. This aid will bring the total of American military support to 43.9 million dollars, he assured.
Last winter, Russia shelled Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, repeatedly depriving the population of electricity or heat.
A situation that Kyiv and its allies do not want to see happen again. The emphasis will be placed on an anti-aircraft “winter shield”, to learn the lessons of last year, a diplomat stationed at NATO summarized this week.
“Anti-aircraft defense is a significant part of the response,” said Mr. Zelensky, thanking his allies for the help already received.
Survive the winter
“How we are going to survive this winter is essential for us,” he stressed.
Mr. Zelensky was welcomed by the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, who also wanted to reassure him about the commitment of the Allies which some fear to see weaken after a little less than 600 days of war.
“Your fight is our fight, your security is our security,” said Mr. Stoltenberg alongside President Zelensky.
“International attention risks turning away from Ukraine, and this will have consequences,” the Ukrainian leader warned the day before on a French television channel.
“The war in Ukraine has our attention, and Ukraine has our full support,” Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said shortly before the meeting began.
The Alliance countries nonetheless fear a erosion of American support.
The United States alone accounts for half of the military aid provided to Ukraine, with the rest coming mainly from other NATO member countries.
But American aid promised to Ukraine has paid the price for a compromise in Congress to avoid the country’s budgetary paralysis and nothing indicates that an agreement will be quickly reached on this point.
The American presidency estimates that the increase needed to continue supporting the Ukrainian war effort will be $24 billion.
And at NATO headquarters, the Allies know that Europe cannot replace the United States. They have neither the intention nor the means, summarized a European diplomat from the Alliance this week.
In the short term, however, no one is worried about a possible interruption or review of current programs in light of events in Israel where the United States announced an increase in its military aid.
“On the question of whether or not American support for Israel can affect American support for Ukraine, we do not anticipate any problem on this subject,” the American ambassador to NATO told the press on Tuesday. , Julianne Smith.
And, if NATO is not called upon to play a particular role in this region of the world, the Alliance’s defense ministers will meet Thursday with their Israeli counterpart by videoconference, indicated a diplomat from a country member.