NATO chief: Alliance must back Ukraine as offensive against Russia picks up steam

A day after he met with President Biden in Washington, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday was back in Brussels preparing for this week’s critical meeting of defense ministers ahead of the upcoming alliance summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The June 15-16 meeting at NATO headquarters comes as Ukraine continues the early stages of its much-anticipated counter-offensive operations against Russia.

“We do not know if this will be a turning point of the war, but we see that the Ukrainians are making advances and liberating more land,” Mr. Stoltenberg said Wednesday during a press conference. “We know that the more gains Ukraine makes, the stronger their hand will be at the negotiating table.”

Mr. Stoltenberg, who is set to step down in September as NATO chief, said alliance members will receive a briefing from Ukrainian defense officials on their battlefield progress. Following that, NATO will ensure they have sufficient weapons, supplies and maintenance equipment to continue the fight, he said.

“We will discuss urgent needs and more long-term challenges for Ukraine,” Mr. Stoltenberg said. “We will discuss a multi-year package of support, with substantial funding, to ensure Ukraine can defend itself for the longer term.”

He acknowledged that Ukraine has sustained losses on the battlefield, including weapon systems provided by Western countries, but said that was to be expected. Ukrainian soldiers are contending with well-prepared defensive lines, including minefields and tank ditches, as they continue their advance, he said.

“Of course, there will be casualties. No one expected it to be zero casualties,” Mr. Stoltenberg told reporters. “There is a fierce fight going on.”

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa and shelled the eastern Donetsk region, killing at least six people and damaging dozens of homes, regional Ukrainian officials said.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said Russia has stepped up aerial attacks as Kyiv’s counteroffensive has gathered strength. Ukraine‘s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar described only modest territorial gains so far against Russian-occupied lands in eastern and southern Ukraine, although the counteroffensive has only just begun in earnest.

In Washington Wednesday, the White House stepped up its lobbying for Sweden’s pending membership in NATO on Wednesday as objections from Turkey and Hungary cast doubt on whether the Scandinavian country can join the military alliance before next month’s leaders’ summit.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara will not endorse Sweden’s membership in NATO while “terrorists” are protesting in Stockholm, according to wire reports. He was referring to demonstrations by Kurdish activists that Turkish leaders consider part of a pro-independence terror group.

Turkey ratified Finland’s request for NATO membership in March and the White House would like it to follow suit with Sweden, which also sought membership after Russia invaded Ukraine.

“We have said that, and been really clear, and they should do this without delay,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, calling Sweden “a strong capable defense partner that shares NATO‘s values and will strengthen the alliance.”

Separately, Idaho Sen. James Risch, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he will place a hold on a $735 million U.S. arms sale — including HIMARS rocket launchers batteries — to Hungary as punishment for Budapest’s objections to Swedish membership in NATO.

Mr. Risch is exploiting a rule that requires the chair and ranking members of the Senate and House foreign affairs panels to give the green light before the State Department can approve a foreign arms sale.

On Tuesday, the Defense Department announced a $325 million drawdown of U.S.-provided military supplies for Ukraine including advanced surface-to-air missiles and mobile rocket-firing artillery, along with “dozens” of additional Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers. 

The U.S. has provided more than $39 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia‘s invasion in February 2022.

During their meetings this week, Mr. Austin and other NATO defense ministers will review a new production plan that aims to address current shortfalls in their military stocks. The alliance is setting up a program for NATO-wide procurement of 155mm ammunition valued at $1 billion, Mr. Stoltenberg said.

“This will strengthen both our ability to defend ourselves and to support Ukraine,” he said. “It will send a clear signal to industry to boost production.”

— This account was based in part on wire service reports.