Ukraine has received 98% of promised combat vehicles: NATO chief

NATO allies and partner countries have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks to form units and help retake the country from Russian forces, the military alliance chief said.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary general, said on Thursday that supplies constituted more than 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during the Russian invasion and war, dealing a bigger blow to Kiev as it considers launching a counter-offensive.

“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 retake occupied territory,” Stoltenberg told a news conference.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 troops make up the new brigades. Ukraine’s allies have also sent “massive amounts of ammunition” and some NATO partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armored vehicles.

NATO member states have also provided anti-aircraft systems and artillery, while Poland and the Czech Republic have provided Soviet-built MiG-29 aircraft.

Stoltenberg emphasized this “unprecedented military support to Ukraine” but warned that “we must never underestimate Russia”.

Moscow mobilized more ground forces and was “ready to send thousands of troops with a very high casualty rate,” he said.

In the face of what appears to be a protracted conflict, NATO countries must “stay on track and continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to emerge victorious,” the alliance chief said.

Stoltenberg said a July NATO summit in Lithuania would outline plans for a “multi-year support program” for Ukraine.

“This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

His remarks came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a “long and meaningful” phone call in their first known contact since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than a year ago.

While Zelenskyy said he was encouraged by Wednesday’s call and Western officials welcomed Xi’s move, the development did not seem to trigger an immediate shift in peace prospects.

Russia and Ukraine are far apart on their terms of peace, and Beijing — while striving to position itself as a global diplomatic power — has refused to criticize Moscow’s invasion.

The Chinese government views Russia as a diplomatic ally that opposes US influence in global affairs, and Xi visited Moscow last month.

“Maybe this war will end at the negotiating table,” Stoltenberg said.

But he stressed that “it is up to Ukraine to decide what the terms of talks are and what format the talks should have.”

Either way, Stoltenberg said, “Any possibility for meaningful negotiations requires Ukraine to have the necessary military strength to deliver a very clear message to the president. [Vladimir] Putin that he will not win on the battlefield.”

Last week, representatives of NATO members met in Ramstein, Germany for talks hosted by the United States to review the defense systems and supplies Ukraine needs.

Zelensky has urged Western allies to send modern fighter jets and long-range missiles to fend off Russian troops, but NATO countries have so far withheld delivery of Western-made jets.