Pleased that Ukraine is about to receive fighter jets, NATO pushes to produce a weapon

On May 23, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg attended the Conference of Defense Ministers of European Union (EU) member countries in Brussels (Belgium).

Ưng ý khi Ukraine sắp được hỗ trợ máy bay chiến đấu, NATO thúc đẩy sản xuất một loại vũ khí. (Nguồn: NATO)

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg (2nd from left) at the EU Defense Ministers' Meeting in Belgium on May 23. (Source: NATO)

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Stoltenberg appreciated the unprecedented scale of support that NATO allies and partners have given to Ukraine.

Expressing satisfaction that the United States, the United Kingdom and other NATO countries have announced their intention to begin training Ukrainian pilots to operate fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including the F-16 fighter, the Secretary-General assessed that this is part of the long-term commitment of the allies to support Kiev's defense capabilities.

Mr. Stoltenberg also called on NATO and the EU to cooperate more closely to increase the speed of production of ammunition and defense equipment needed to assist Ukraine and replenish the countries' stockpiles.

In addition, NATO-EU cooperation on resilience and protection of critical infrastructure, in particular through the established Joint Task Force, is essential.

The head of NATO did not forget to emphasize the special role of the military alliance in the process of establishing a system of standards for all members, assigning them defense capability goals, ensuring the survival of the defense industry and maintaining regular contact with manufacturers to detect difficulties and resolve them.

The military alliance is working to assess capability goals, especially regarding tactically decisive weapons, to inform the defense industry about long-term needs, he said.

In addition, Mr. Stoltenberg noted the need to ensure that ammunition is compatible and interchangeable, while not creating new barriers to trade between European allies and the United States.

NATO plans to hold an informal meeting with major industrial groups from Europe and North America on the sidelines of the alliance's Defense Ministers' Meeting on June 15-16 in Brussels, with the participation of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and representatives of Ukraine.

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