IRIA News

NATO leadership announced that member countries have confirmed the availability of additional air defense systems that can be deployed to Ukraine. The announcement came during the NATO-Ukraine council meeting.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg led a virtual session of the NATO-Ukraine Council on April 19, 2024, involving defense ministers from the Allied countries.

The meeting was focused on addressing Ukraine’s pressing requirements for air defense and additional military support. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also addressed the meeting and provided Allies with updates on the battlefield situation and Ukraine’s immediate necessities.

Stoltenberg briefed the news media at NATO headquarters in Brussels on the council meeting, saying NATO will speed more air defenses and artillery to the beleaguered country. 

“NATO defense ministers have agreed to step up and provide further military support, including more air defense,” Stoltenberg said. “NATO has mapped out existing capabilities across the alliance and there are systems that can be made available to Ukraine. I expect new announcements on air defense capabilities for Ukraine soon.”

Defence Ministers met virtually in the #NATO–#Ukraine Council with President @ZelenskyyUa to address Kyiv’s critical need for more air defences. Allies agreed to step up & provide further military support, including air defence. I expect new announcements soon. pic.twitter.com/MoSGxQfH7i

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) April 19, 2024

Last week, Germany indicated that they will deliver an additional Patriot system to Ukraine. “In addition to Patriots, there are other weapons that allies can provide,” the secretary general said. 

NATO allies who do not have systems agreed to provide financial support to purchase them for Ukraine, he said. “We are also working with industry to ramp up production and to refurbish systems to make them operational and fit for purpose,” Stoltenberg said.

$4 billion military aid package

Stoltenberg also said that Denmark announced a major new package of aid for Ukraine while the Netherlands has announced $4 billion in additional military support. Similarly, the Czech-led initiative is receiving hundreds of millions of euros for more artillery shells for Ukraine was also forwarded during the meeting.

The NATO defense ministers also addressed other pressing Ukrainian needs, such as 155 mm ammunition, deep-precision strike capabilities, and drones. “Each NATO ally will decide what to provide,” he said. “Several allies made concrete commitments during the meeting and are finalizing contributions that I expect will be announced soon. Help is already on the way.”

“Our sky must become safe again,” Zelenskyy

While addressing the meeting via video link, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy painted a grim portrayal of his military’s capacity to repel Russian assaults on both land and air. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine relied on Western assistance to safeguard itself.

Kyiv has been expressing its dissatisfaction with the military aid provided by the Western Allies, noting that pledged deliveries during the two-year conflict frequently arrived tardily or in insufficient quantities to significantly influence the battlefield.

“It depends fully on your choice. Choice whether life is indeed equally valuable everywhere. Choice whether you have an equal attitude to all partners. Choice whether we indeed are allies,” he said.

“It is obvious that now, while Russia has air advantage and can rely on its drone and rocket terror, our capabilities on the ground, unfortunately, are limited,” he said.

“Ukraine did not ask you to send your soldiers to fight against Russian occupiers, Ukrainians are holding the frontline on their own, receiving military assistance,” Zelenskt said in his emotional speech. “Everything that is questioned for the defense of freedom is a precise answer for Putin – he is tempted to act when the West slows down,” he added.

Zelensky also called on the U.S. House of Representatives to unlock the long-delayed $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine.

At least seven Patriots systems

Zelenskiy conveyed to NATO members the urgent requirement for a minimum of seven Patriot or similar advanced air defense systems to effectively counter Russia’s aerial attacks. The Ukrainian leader described the current level of foreign aid as “very limited”. He also referred to Israel during his speech mentioning how all major Western powers provided air defense support to Israel during Iran’s massive air strike.

Just this year, Zelenskiy said, Ukraine had been attacked by almost 1,200 Russian missiles, more than 1,500 drones, and 8,500 guided bombs amid a slowdown in Western military assistance. “We are telling this directly – to defend, we need seven more ‘Patriots’ or similar air defense systems, and it’s a minimum number. They can save many lives and change the situation,” he said.