NATO says Ukraine is using more ammunition than the alliance’s production capacity

The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (I WILL TAKE), Jens Stoltenberg, warned on Monday that Ukraine uses more ammunition than the military alliance’s current production capacity.

“The current rate of ammunition expenditure in Ukraine is several times higher than our current production rate. (…) This puts our defense industries under pressuresaid Stoltenberg at a press conference in Brussels.

According to Stoltenberg, this is “a concrete fact”, but he added that NATO is taking action on this issue.

“We have been aware of this for some time and we have started to do things. We are not sitting around doing nothing. We are working hard (…) to increase our production“, he expressed.

The first step, he explained, was initiate “an extraordinary review of our reserves. With this information, we will see with each individual partner and we can sign contracts with the industry”.

It is possible to find “spare capacity” to increase production, he added.

Clearly, “we are in a logistics race“, he said, adding that “essential capabilities such as ammunition, fuel and spare parts must reach Ukraine before Russia takes the initiative. Speed ​​will save lives.”

For her part, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said the military alliance is exploring ways to work with industry to shorten production times.

“It is absolutely essential to ensure that we can continue to support Ukraine and at the same time collectively guarantee that we can continue to protect every square inch of our allies’ territory,” he said.

Defense ministers from the contact group on Ukraine will meet in Brussels on Tuesday to specifically discuss the supply of arms to Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksi Resnikov will have to attend meetings and present details of the needs of his troops to face the Russian offensive.

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky last week lobbied in Brussels, Paris and London for NATO allies to hand over Ukrainian forces. Fightera possibility that all parties are considering with obvious caution.

On Monday, Stoltenberg said delivery of the planes would be discussed on Tuesday, but added that it would still take “time, and the short-term priorities are promised ammunition and weapons.”

Diplomats from various NATO countries said they did not expect any announcements on the sensitive aircraft issue at Tuesday’s meeting.

The United States, Ukraine’s main source of arms supplies, is analyzing requests for authorization to transfer to Ukraine certain F-16 fighter jets, used by many NATO member countries.

(With information from AFP/by Max Delany)

Continue reading: