Photo by Myko Makhlai on Unsplash
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has praised the “bravery of the Ukrainian forces and people.”
But he also acknowledged that “leadership and bravery alone cannot repel the Russian forces; you also need arms and ammunition.”
He recognised that serious delays in support have translated to serious consequences on the battlefield.
“Ukraine has been outgunned for months… fewer Russian missiles and drones have been shot down, and Russia has been able to push forward on the front line,” said Stoltenberg. “But it is not too late for Ukraine to prevail. More support is on the way.”
EU defence ministers last week heard Ukraine President Zelenskyy’s clear appeal at a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council a few days ago, “and they agreed to step up our support,” said Stoltenberg.
He welcomed the major new package from the United States, providing over 60 billion dollars’ worth of aid, as well as new commitments by the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, adding: “I expect further announcements soon.”
Addressing preparations for the NATO Summit in July, Stoltenberg said: “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO. Ukraine will become a member of NATO. The work we are undertaking now puts you on an irreversible path towards NATO membership, so that when the time is right, Ukraine can become a NATO member straightaway.”
Meanwhile, the S&D group in the EU parliament has reacted to what it calls “the Russiagate scandal – yet another example of the dangerous links between far-right movements and the Kremlin.”
This comes after the European Parliament last week adopted a resolution “firmly denouncing any attempt to advance Russia’s political agenda within the European Parliament.”
For the S&Ds, the recent allegations regarding “Voice of Europe” and the AfD party might, they claim, constitute sanctionable behaviours under the EP Code of Conduct.
A statement read, “If confirmed, this must be met with the firmest possible response.”
“The S&Ds call for a thorough internal investigation in order to assess all possible cases of foreign interference from Russia and other countries in the Union.”
Andreas Schieder, S&D spokesperson on foreign interference, added, “Every week, if not day, brings a new revelation about far-right links to the Kremlin or other malign regimes. The Russiagate scandal is just another example of Russia’s efforts in trying to sabotage our democratic systems. We are outraged at the participation of EP Members in the pro-Russian media outlet “Voice of Europe”, which aimed to influence public opinion to undermine EU support to Ukraine.
“Now, we are learning about the arrest of AfD MEP Krah’s assistant, on serious charges of espionage in China. What next?”
