NATO boosts Ukraine’s air defense
NATO boosts Ukraine’s air defence as concerns over future course of war grow
NATO leaders on Wednesday (10 June) are expected to pledge more advanced air defence capabilities and offer more F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to counter Russia’s intensified missile strikes on the country.
On the eve of the NATO summit, Russia had launched a barrage of missiles on Kyiv earlier on Monday (8 July), killing at least 40 people across the country, including in a strike on a children’s hospital in the country’s capital.
“I think what we’ve seen over the last days demonstrates the need to step up our support for Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Tuesday (9 July).
US President Joe Biden earlier on Monday had said that after Russia’s deadly missile strikes Washington and its NATO allies would be announcing new measures to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences.
Western officials in the day before had refrained from detailing what the plan to boost Ukraine’s defence capabilities would entail.
On Tuesday, Biden announced the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Italy will provide Ukraine with equipment for five additional air defence systems, which he called a “historic donation,” that would be accompanied by dozens of shorter-range systems and missiles.
“Collectively, we are providing Ukraine with additional strategic air defense systems, including additional Patriot batteries donated by the United States, Germany, and Romania; Patriot components donated by the Netherlands and other partners to enable the operation of an additional Patriot battery; and an additional SAMP-T system donated by Italy,” the participating countries said in a joint statement.
In the coming months, Washington and its NATO partners would also send Ukraine “dozens” of additional systems, Biden said, without specifying number or kind of equipment.
“All told, Ukraine will receive hundreds of additional interceptors over the next year, helping protect Ukrainian cities against Russian missiles,” Biden said.
However, some of the pledges were part of previous commitments, with those of the Netherlands back-dating to May, while Italy and Romania had unveiled their commitments in June.
Over the past months, Ukraine has requested for more US-manufactured Patriot air defence systems to protect its skies against Russian missiles.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington stressing he would “fight” for strong NATO decisions to strengthen his country’s air defences and for more F-16 fighter jets.
“We are fighting for additional security guarantees for Ukraine – and these are weapons and finances, political support,” Zelenskyy said in a video message.
However, Ukraine’s Western allies have been struggling to find more available Patriot batteries, given that most of the systems are placed in strategic locations or part of national or NATO defence plans.
At the same time, push to provide F-16s and train Ukrainian pilots to operate them has been delayed due to slow progress and lack of pilots, Western military officials say.
NATO is committed to standing with Ukraine in the long-term, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday (9 July) told a US Chamber of Commerce forum of defence industry representatives in Washington.
The series of NATO measures to strengthen Western support to Ukraine would include a new military command in Germany for training and equipping Ukrainian troops, as well as the appoint a senior NATO representative in Kyiv to deepen Ukraine’s relationship with the alliance, he added.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin cannot divide us, he cannot outlast us, he cannot weaken us – and Ukraine, not Russia, will prevail,” Sullivan said.
NATO diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the recent devastating strike was not only showing the urgency of supplying Ukraine with more air defences, but was also seen as a message by Russia that Moscow does not intend to back down.
When it comes to the prospects for resolution of the conflict, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would believe that time was on his side, one senior NATO official briefing reporters on the sidelines in Washington said.
“What we see today are still very high Russian losses. Russia is attempting to take ground,” they said.
The estimate was that Russia would be able to sustain its war economy for three to four more years, which could make the war last well beyond 2025, the NATO official said.
Howewer, Russia would lack the ammunition and manpower to start a major offensive in Ukraine, they said.