NATO strengthens Ukrainian air defence amid growing concerns about future course of war – Euractiv

July 10, 2024

On Wednesday (June 10), NATO leaders are expected to upgrade Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and offer it more F-16 fighter jets to counter increased Russian missile attacks on the country.

On the eve of the NATO summit, Russia launched a missile attack on Kiev on Monday (July 8), killing at least 40 people across the country, including in an attack on a children’s hospital in the country’s capital.

“I think what we have seen in recent days shows the need to increase our support for Ukraine,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Tuesday (July 9).

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that Washington and its NATO allies would announce new measures to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses following Russia’s deadly missile attacks.

Western politicians had avoided providing further details on plans to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities the day before.

On Tuesday, Biden announced that the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Italy would provide Ukraine with equipment for five more air defense systems, calling it a “historic donation” that will be complemented by dozens of shorter-range systems and missiles.

“Together, we are supplying 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 countries involved 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 the number or type of equipment.

“In total, Ukraine will receive hundreds of additional interceptor missiles over the next year to help protect Ukrainian cities from Russian missiles,” Biden said.

However, some of the pledges were part of existing commitments. For example, those of the Netherlands dated back to May, while Italy and Romania announced their commitments in June.

In recent months, Ukraine has requested additional American-made Patriot air defense systems to protect its airspace from Russian missiles.

Upon his arrival in Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that he would “fight” for decisive NATO decisions to strengthen his country’s air defense and for more F-16 fighter jets.

“We are fighting for additional security guarantees for Ukraine – and these are weapons and finances, political support,” Zelensky said in a video message.

However, Ukraine’s Western allies are struggling to find more Patriot batteries, as most of these systems are stationed at strategic locations or are part of national or NATO defense plans.

At the same time, Western military officials said efforts to deploy F-16 fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots to use them were delayed due to slow progress and a shortage of pilots.

NATO is determined to stand by Ukraine in the long term, said US security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday (July 9) at a forum of representatives of the arms industry at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington.

NATO measures to strengthen Western support for Ukraine would include a new military command in Germany to train and equip Ukrainian troops and the appointment of a senior NATO representative in Kyiv to deepen Ukraine’s ties 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 latest devastating attack not only underscores the urgent need to equip Ukraine with more air defense systems, but is also being seen as a message from Russia that it has no intention of backing down.

As for the prospects for resolving the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin believes time is on his side, said a senior NATO official who briefed reporters on the sidelines of the talks in Washington.

“What we see today are still very high Russian losses. Russia is trying to make up ground,” they said.

It is assumed that Russia will be able to maintain its war economy for another three to four years, said the NATO representative. The war could therefore last well beyond 2025.

However, Russia would have neither ammunition nor personnel available for a major offensive in Ukraine, it was said.

“We have seen that Ukraine’s defense has improved significantly,” the NATO representative added.

(Edited by Alice Taylor)