NATO SUPPORT MAKES ‘HUGE DIFFERENCE’ IN UKRAINE’S FIGHT AGAINST RUSSIA: ALLIANCE CHIEF

Fri 09 September 2022:

NATO’s assistance to Ukraine makes a “huge difference” since the country’s army is making progress in reclaiming its land, according to alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg on Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.

“The war in Ukraine is entering in critical phase” because Ukrainian forces managed to stall Russia’s offensive in the Donbas region and retake territory in the south and east of the country, Stoltenberg told a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after their meeting.

Stoltenberg warned that Ukraine and NATO must “be prepared for the long haul” but urged allies to continue to provide support for Ukraine because “we see that this is making a huge difference on the ground.”

“If Ukraine stops fighting, it will cease to exist as an independent nation, so we must stay on course for Ukraine’s sake and for ours,” he said.

For his part, Blinken said he is “absolutely confident” that Ukraine will win the war because “people are fighting for their homeland, fighting for their future.”

He stated that during his Thursday visit to Kyiv, he informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the US would deliver an additional $2.8 billion in security assistance to his country and its neighbors, including $675 million in fresh military aid to Ukraine.

NATO leaders agreed in June on the biggest upgrade of NATO’s collective defense and deterrence since the Cold War as part of a broader reaction to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

A new deployment strategy with designated forces pre-assigned to defend certain NATO countries, 300,000 troops at high readiness, and more pre-positioned equipment and weapon stocks on the Eastern flanks are among the reforms.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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