Illustrative photo – Ukrainian armored vehicle in the area of the front line near Bakhmut, April 10, 2023.
Brussels – NATO countries and their partners have delivered almost all the promised combat vehicles to Ukraine, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said today. He specifically mentioned over 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, including huge amounts of ammunition. At the same time, the head of NATO welcomed Wednesday's phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, according to Stoltenberg, this does not change the fact that China still has not condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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“Through the contact group led by the United States, NATO allies and their partners have provided unprecedented support to Ukraine. More than 98 percent of combat vehicles promised to Ukraine have been delivered,” the head of the alliance said in Brussels during a joint press statement with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. “In total, we have trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian armored brigades. This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to conquer the occupied territory,” he added, according to a NATO statement< /i> Stoltenberg.
The so-called contact defense group for Ukraine is a grouping of more than 50 countries, 31 of which are NATO member states. The others are countries that also support Kiev and supply it with military equipment.
The NATO Secretary General also mentioned that he visited Kiev last week. “My message is clear: NATO stands by Ukraine and will stand by it as long as it takes,” Stoltenberg said. “We must continue and provide Ukraine with what it needs to win,” he added.
The phone call between Zelenskyi and Xi Jinping took place on Wednesday. The Chinese president called on the Ukrainian leader to negotiate with Moscow, which he says is the only way out of the conflict. It was the first contact between the two statesmen since the Russian attack on Ukraine last February.
