During the meeting of the defense ministers of 40 countries of the world at the American military base Ramstein in Germany, a decision was made to supply Ukraine with Western-made weapons that meet the standards of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This was announced by Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Facebook on Wednesday, April 27.
Reznikov said that the members of the delegation considered three blocks of issues related to short-term operational decisions to help Ukraine repulse Russian aggression, as well as strengthen defense, taking into account strategic challenges. The Minister of Defense said that an advisory group on the defense of Ukraine was created, which will act on an ongoing basis, and within the framework of which meetings with partners will be held once a month to facilitate and speed up the receipt of weapons, improve logistics and ensure optimal coordination.
"There have been tectonic shifts at the philosophy level. Back in the fall of 2021, during my appointment to the post of Minister of Defense, I emphasized that I consider it one of my priorities to make Ukraine's integration into NATO de facto. For a long time, we have convinced partners that as support it is advisable to provide Ukraine with Western-made weapons that meet NATO standards.
The transition to western calibers and equipment is a strategic decision finally made. In particular, we are already receiving artillery of 155 mm caliber," Reznikov wrote.
The Minister of Defense pointed out that such actions will gradually ensure the full interaction of the Ukrainian army with the armies of NATO countries, which will be a significant strengthening of the eastern flank of the Alliance: "I will not hide - three months ago this task was considered almost impossible. But thanks to the courage and professionalism of the Ukrainian soldiers, the resilience of the Ukrainian people, everything has changed," the Minister of Defense emphasized.
For example, when decisions are made to provide Ukraine with one or another weapon, at the expense of coordination, weapons of the same type will come from different countries. Conditionally, several countries will provide 3-4 guns, and in total Ukraine will receive an artillery division.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on April 26, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States would support Ukraine's possible decision not to join NATO and maintain neutrality.
On April 22, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that the duration of Russian aggression against Ukraine will depend on the amount and quality of military assistance from foreign partners.
On April 21, Deputy Director of the North America Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Koshelev said that NATO military cargo would be considered a "legitimate goal" for the Russian Federation.
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