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NATO is ready to continue for years supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russia, including helping Kiev to replace Soviet-era weapons with modern weapons systems, said Jens Stoltenberg, the alliance’s secretary general.
He made the remarks after the Kremlin warned that Western arms shipments to Ukraine, including heavy weapons, posed a threat to security on the European continent and “created instability.”
“We need to prepare for the long term,” Stolteneberg said on April 28 ahead of a youth summit in Brussels.
“It is possible that this war will continue for months and years.”
The NATO chief has said that the West will continue to put maximum pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, through sanctions and military aid to Kiev, to end the occupation of Ukraine.
Moscow calls the war a “special military operation” to demilitarize Ukraine.
NATO countries have so far sent Soviet-era weapons to Ukraine, which have been through Eastern European member states, although the United States and some allies have recently begun sending modern weapons to Kiev.
Germany has announced over the week that it will also send tanks and other weapons, marking the first time Berlin has agreed to send heavy weapons to Kiev.
Ukraine’s calls for more weapons have grown since Moscow launched its offensive in the eastern Donbas region.
The British Ministry of Defense said in its last update on April 29 that the “Battle for Donbas” remains Russia’s main strategic focus, in order to gain control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Due to the great Ukrainian resistance, the Russian victories have been limited and have cost the Russian forces, the Ministry said, among other things.
The West believes that the battle in the besieged city of Mariupol and other areas in the east could be crucial to the outcome of the war.
Moscow’s attacks in the east have spurred new US promises of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden has asked the US Congress for $ 33 billion in support of Kiev, where $ 20 billion will be allocated for weapons, ammunition and other military assistance.
“This request must be approved to assist Ukraine in its struggle for freedom,” Biden said.
“The price of this war is not cheap, but involvement in aggression is more costly.”
As a result of the war in Ukraine, thousands of people have been killed and over five million others have fled the country.
Washington, which along with allies has imposed sanctions on Moscow, hopes to help Ukrainian forces not only stop Russia’s attacks in the east, but also weaken its military so as not to start conflicts with neighboring countries. .
Russia has said NATO, through its actions, is indirectly involved in the war and has made several threats this week for unspecified retaliation.
On April 27, Russian authorities cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, saying they had refused to pay in rubles.
The move marks Moscow’s harshest response to Western economic sanctions.
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