Satisfied that when Ukraine is about to be supported with fighter aircraft, NATO promotes the production of a weapon

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg (2nd from left) at the EU Member States 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 Ukraine.

Expressing satisfaction when the US, UK and other NATO countries announced their intention to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly fourth-generation fighters, including F-16 fighters, the Secretary-General assessed that this is part of the allies' long-term commitment to support Kiev's defense capabilities.

Stoltenberg also called on NATO and the EU to work more closely to speed up the production of munitions and defense equipment needed to help Ukraine and replenish their stockpiles.

In addition, NATO-EU cooperation on resilience and protection of critical infrastructure, especially through the already 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 setting standards for all members, assigning them defense goals, ensuring the survival of the defense industry and maintaining regular contact with manufacturers to identify difficulties to solve.

According to him, the military alliance is working to assess capabilities goals, especially regarding tactically decisive weapons, to inform the defense industry of long-term needs.

In addition, Stoltenberg noted the need to ensure munitions are compatible and interchangeable, and do not pose new barriers to trade between the 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, attended by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and representatives of Ukraine.