NATO aims to transform assistance to Ukraine into multi-year program, says alliance chief

ANKARA

NATO is aiming to transform its assistance to Ukraine into a multi-year program, the secretary-general said Wednesday.

“But Ukraine has urgent needs. Any delay in providing support has consequences on the battlefield as we speak,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the doorstep of the alliance’s foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

“We are transforming NATO's comprehensive assistance package into a multi-year program of assistance. We are helping Ukraine move closer to NATO standards on everything, from procurement or logistics. And we are supporting Ukraine's reform efforts to bring Ukraine ever closer to the Alliance. Ukraine will become a member of NATO. It is a question of when, not if,” Stoltenberg said.

The news outlet Politico Europe revealed Tuesday that the NATO chief was to propose a $100 billion, five-year fund for Ukraine amid US Congress stalling an aid package of $60 billion, according to two diplomats.

“There will be no finalization at the meeting today and tomorrow, we will hopefully move forward towards consensus and then we will have an agreement in place by the summit (in Washington in July). The reason why we do this is the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine,” the NATO chief added.

He stressed the importance of a framework that ensures the predictability of the support “for the long haul.”

"So again, I will not go into the details,” he further said.

He also emphasized the importance of the Indo-Pacific partners, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.

“We know that our security is not regional – it is global. The war in Ukraine illustrates this clearly,” Stoltenberg said.

“Russia’s friends in Asia are vital for continuing its war of aggression,” he said, noting that China, North Korea, and Iran were supporting Russia in terms of economy, weapons, and ammunition, and received other favors in return.

Foreign ministers of the alliance are holding a two-day meeting in Brussels to discuss the situation in Ukraine, ways to support Kyiv, and the developments in the Indo-Pacific region.