NATO agrees on plan to coordinate security assistance, training for Ukraine

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - NATO's top official said Friday that defense ministers of NATO members have agreed on a plan to coordinate security assistance and training for Ukraine.

Speaking in Brussels, Jens Stoltenberg said that these efforts do not make NATO a party to the conflict, but will enhance the alliance support to Ukraine "to uphold its right to self-defense."

His remarks came at a closing press conference of the two-day NATO defense ministers meeting, the last ministerial meeting before the NATO Summit in Washington next month.

Stoltenberg went on to say that NATO security assistance and training will provide Ukraine with better-coordinated support.

"By having NATO in the lead role, we are ensuring that the support is more robust, more coherent and that we ensure interoperability."

However, Stoltenberg said that allies have not yet agreed on a long-term financial pledge.

"We need not only to have short-term pledges, they are welcome of course, but if we could have more long-term predictable pledges, it will give the Ukrainians a better planning assumption," added Stoltenberg.

He also said that the ministers also addressed the "ongoing campaign of hostile acts" that Russia is conducting against NATO members.

"In recent weeks, we have seen a surge of sabotage, cyber-attacks, instrumentalized migration and other hostile actions by Russia," noted Stoltenberg.

"Russia's campaign will not deter us from supporting Ukraine," he stated, adding they will continue to protect NATO territories against hostile actions.

Touching on initiatives towards supplying air defense systems to Ukraine, the NATO chief noted that they will work closely with allies to ensure the delivery of more advanced air defense systems to Ukraine.

In response to a question about Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal outlining Russia's conditions for ending the war, Stoltenberg said the proposal means that Russia should have the right to occupy even more Ukrainian land.

"So this just demonstrates that this is not a proposal made in good faith," he noted.