NATO Secretary General: Weapons Worth $2.5 Billion to be Provided to Ukraine

Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, announced on Thursday, October 6, during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, that "NATO members will provide weapons worth $2.5 billion to Ukraine." According to the Associated Press, the NATO Secretary General discussed the situation of the war between Russia and Ukraine as well as Ukraine's military needs during the meeting with Mr. Zelensky. Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Jens Stoltenberg agreed to make efforts to persuade NATO members to assist in providing more air defense systems aimed at protecting Ukraine's power plants and energy infrastructure. According to the report, Ukraine's power plants and energy infrastructure were damaged in Russian attacks last winter. The President of Ukraine also referred to the ongoing Russian attacks on civilian areas of his country, adding: "In the face of such severe attacks against Ukrainians, our cities, and our ports which are vital for global food security, we need more pressure on Russia and to strengthen our air defense." He added: "The world must see how severely Russia is suffering so that our shared values ultimately prevail." Jens Stoltenberg also stated that NATO members will provide weapons worth $2.5 billion to Ukraine, including 155mm howitzer shells, anti-tank guided missiles, and tank ammunition. He added: "The stronger Ukraine becomes, the closer we get to ending Russia's aggression." The NATO Secretary General further stated: "Russia can lay down its weapons and end its war, but Ukraine does not have that option. Ukraine's surrender would not mean peace. It would mean brutal Russian occupation. Peace at any cost is not peace at all." The meeting between the President of Ukraine and the NATO Secretary General took place one day after Russia accused Ukraine's Western allies of assisting in planning and executing last week's missile attack on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol in Crimea. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, claimed on Wednesday, October 5, that the attack on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters was coordinated with the help of U.S. and British security agencies, and that NATO satellites and reconnaissance aircraft also played a role in the attack. Meanwhile, Ukraine, without providing evidence, claims that 34 Russian officers were killed and 105 others were injured in this attack. According to the report, Ukraine stated that Viktor Sokolov, the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, was also killed in this attack. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video of a meeting in which this Russian official participated.