NATO Secretary General: Ukraine’s trust in allies undermined

Delays in promised assistance undermined Ukraine’s trust in NATO allies, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after a visit to Kyiv, according to Reuters. Partners’ failures indicate the need to review the coordination of international military aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Of course, the fact that we have not delivered what we promised has put a dent … into the trust,” Stoltenberg said. In particular, the NATO Secretary General was referring to a six-month delay in providing aid from the US Congress and a failed plan to provide Ukraine with the promised one million rounds of ammunition.

Unfulfilled plans had a significant impact on the battlefield, as Russia gained the initiative, and Ukrainians, deprived of weapons, were forced to switch to defense, journalists write. “We need a more robust, institutionalised framework for our support to ensure predictability, to ensure more accountability and to ensure burden-sharing,” said Stoltenberg.

The NATO Secretary General also mentioned the proposal to establish a fund of allied contributions amounting to $100 billion over a span of five years for Ukraine. This initiative aims to ensure transparent delineation of each Alliance member’s assistance to Kyiv.