NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has expressed concern about the lack of US military aid for Ukraine. The blockage of billions in aid in Congress is already having an impact, Stoltenberg said on Thursday on the sidelines of a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels. A Russian victory would not only be “a tragedy for the Ukrainians, but also dangerous for us,” he warned.
“We are already seeing the impact of the US not making a decision,” Stoltenberg said. But he continues to rely on congressional approval.
Under pressure from former US President Donald Trump, who wants to run for re-election in November, Republicans have been blocking a new aid package for Ukraine for months. After a long tug of war, the Senate in Washington approved it on Tuesday, but a majority in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives is considered open.
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said there should be no doubt that all allies are united on Ukraine's side. He wanted to meet with members of the US Senate and the House of Representatives on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference and also talk about this issue.
The 31 NATO countries initially met in Brussels with candidate country Sweden. The NATO-Ukraine Council will discuss the issue in the afternoon. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will take part, probably via video link.
