Nato will urge its members to increase humanitarian support to Ukraine as the country struggles to maintain critical infrastructure as a result of Russia’s attacks on civilian targets.
The western military alliance will use a meeting of its members’ foreign ministers in Bucharest next week to discuss enhancing supplies of power generators, clothing and other non-lethal items, as fears grow over how the country will weather the winter.
“I expect foreign ministers will also agree to step up non-lethal support,” said Stoltenberg. “Nato has been delivering fuel, medical supplies, winter equipment.”
“I thank allies for their contributions. And at our meeting in Bucharest, I will call for more,” he said.
Stoltenberg said that allies would also discuss sending more equipment to enable Ukraine to jam drone operations, in response to Russia’s increasing use of drones, including kamikaze drones supplied by Iran.
Moscow’s war against Ukraine has shifted in recent weeks to focus on a bombing campaign against civilian infrastructure, in an attempt to force Kyiv to make concessions.
“Waves of deliberate missile attacks on cities and civilian infrastructure, depriving Ukrainians of heat, light, and food,” Stoltenberg added. “This is a horrific start to the winter for Ukraine.”
On Wednesday, Russia launched 70 missiles against infrastructure targets across Ukraine, leaving about 80 per cent of the country in the dark and without water.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the FT on Thursday that Kyiv would not be unbowed by the attacks, declaring: “This is a war about strength, about resilience, it is about who stands stronger.”
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