NATO Secretary General: "If Defeated by Russia, Trust Will Be Undermined... Heavy Weapons Must Be Sent to Ukraine"

Ahead of NATO Summit at Month-End, 7-Country Talks
Ukrainian Forces Losing Ground in Donbas... Shortage of Artillery and Mortars

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), stated in a meeting with leaders of some NATO member countries that more heavy weapons should be sent to Ukraine. This is interpreted as a reaffirmation of the commitment to support amid deepening disagreements among NATO members over arms support due to the prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to AFP on the 14th (local time), Secretary General Stoltenberg said at a press conference after a meeting with leaders of seven European countries in The Hague, Netherlands, "Ukraine needs to have more heavy weapons," adding, "NATO allies and partners have been providing heavy weapons and are accelerating these efforts." He continued, "On the 15th, an officials' meeting will be held in Brussels, Belgium, to coordinate additional support including heavy weapons," emphasizing, "Whether Ukraine can resist Russia's brutal aggression depends entirely on this."

Before the NATO summit, the unofficial meeting was attended by the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, Portugal, Latvia, and the president of Romania. Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, who attended the meeting, said, "Regarding weapons, we agreed that this is very important for Russia to be defeated in the war," and added, "Since NATO troops cannot directly confront Russia, we need to ensure Ukraine can win the war using all the weapons it needs."

Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland, who also attended the talks, said, "Western support for Ukraine is insufficient," and requested, "We ask for much more weapons and artillery to be delivered to Ukraine. They need this to defend their country."

Secretary General Stoltenberg also stated that not only Ukraine but NATO countries need to upgrade their armament levels and readiness along the eastern border. He said, "Tonight, we discussed the necessity to make NATO forward bases more robust and combat-ready, to have much higher readiness levels, and to expand the scale of pre-positioning equipment and supplies," adding, "At the NATO summit to be held in Madrid, Spain, on the 29th-30th of this month, we will agree on measures to significantly strengthen posture." Regarding Sweden and Finland's NATO membership and Turkey's opposition, he emphasized that they are seeking a way to "move forward united" to resolve the issue.

He reiterated support for Ukraine, saying, "If Ukraine loses to Russia, trust in the West will be greatly damaged," and added, "This would be a complete failure and disaster for the European Union (EU), our values, and NATO."

Meanwhile, the battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine is increasingly being assessed as favorable to Russia. Unlike the northern front where urban warfare was unavoidable, the eastern front, mostly flat terrain, is considered advantageous for the Russian forces equipped with overwhelming firepower. The Ukrainian military continues to request the West to provide heavy weapons such as long-range artillery capable of intercepting Russian artillery. As the war enters its fourth month, the supply situation for the Ukrainian forces is gradually worsening.