NATO chief says allied support making 'difference' in Ukraine counteroffensive

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Aid from NATO allies has significantly improved Ukraine's counteroffensive as Kyiv seeks to force Russia to retreat from its territory, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday.

Speaking in the Oval Office alongside US President Joe Biden, Stoltenberg reiterated earlier statements he made at the State Department that Ukrainian forces are "gaining ground" as they begin a long-anticipated counteroffensive to end Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territories.

He emphasized that support flowing from NATO members "is now making a difference on the battlefield as we speak," later telling reporters after meeting with Biden that the situation is "challenging."

Stoltenberg thanked Biden for a just-announced $325 million military aid package that includes anti-air assets, long-range rocket ammunition and anti-tank weapons.

Biden said NATO allies have worked to strengthen the transatlantic alliance's eastern flank, and has "made it clear we'll defend every inch of NATO territory."

"I'll say it again, the commitment of the United States to NATO's Article V is rock solid," he said, referring to NATO's mutual defense article. "At our summit in Lithuania next month, we're going to be building on that momentum. I'm working to ensure that allies spend enough on their defense, the two percent."

He was referring to commitments NATO members have made since 2006, and recommitted to in 2014, to spend 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. Just seven of the alliance's 31 members were doing so in 2022 -- Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the UK and the US -- according to NATO's latest statistics.

A new military and political aid package for Ukraine is expected to be announced by NATO members during the summit.

Earlier Tuesday, Ukraine said its forces made advances on the front line with Russia in the regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia amid “counteroffensive actions” announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the weekend.

“In the course of the offensive operation, during the past day, our troops advanced 250 meters (820 feet) in the direction of Bakhmut in the area of the Berkhiv Reservoir and 200 meters (656 feet) in the Toretsk direction,” Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in a statement on Telegram.

Maliar further asserted advances in the Zaporizhzhia region near Berdiansk. The claims could not be immediately verified.

She added that Ukrainian forces have been encountering minefields and anti-tank ditches, as well as “constant counterattacks by enemy units on armored vehicles and the massive use of ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) and kamikaze drones” during the counteroffensive.