NATO allies aim to deliver 1M drones to Ukraine, says alliance chief

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – NATO member states are aiming to deliver 1 million drones to Ukraine, the defense alliance's secretary-general announced on Thursday.

"A group of allies is coming together with a goal of delivering 1 million drones to Ukraine," Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference following the defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.

"We need to shift from the slow pace of peacetime to the high tempo production demanded by conflict," he added. "Twenty NATO allies have also agreed to form a demining coalition. All of this will help to save Ukrainian lives."

Stoltenberg recalled that in the past few days, allies including Canada, Finland, and Norway announced new packages of aid, "covering key capabilities like F-16 equipment and spare parts as well as air defense."

He stressed that "together, NATO Allies account for 99% of the all military aid to Ukraine," and added that "the United States has provided Ukraine with around $75 billion in military financial and humanitarian aid. All the NATO allies and partners have provided over $100 billion."

Stoltenberg said the defense ministers also decided to create a new NATO-Ukraine joint analysis training and education center in Poland.

Providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets is a "big contribution," he said, adding: "The effort now -- and that was addressed in a meeting -- is that Denmark, the Netherlands are leading the effort supported by many other allies -- Belgium, Norway, and others -- to provide the training, to provide the spare parts, to provide the technical assistance, the maintenance capabilities to actually make the F-16s sustainable and important capability for Ukraine."

The four countries announced in 2023 that they will provide F-16 combat aircraft to Ukraine.