NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he hopes for US "flexibility" so that Ukraine has the resources for self-defense after Washington unexpectedly suspended some supplies due to fears that its stockpiles had fallen too low, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.
"The US must ensure that stockpiles are at the level necessary for the US, as they are crucial for our collective defense," Rutte told reporters on Friday. "At the same time, of course, we hope for flexibility, we must also ensure that Ukraine can move forward."
Let's add
The Pentagon this week announced that it was suspending the transfer of artillery shells and air defense systems to Ukraine. It cited a review of US stockpiles as Washington weighs the need to preserve weapons to defend against other security threats.
This decision coincided with a significant escalation of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv and other major cities. Record drone and missile strikes revealed the growing vulnerability of Ukraine's air defense at a time when current US funding is set to run out this summer.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, trying to convince the US leader to resume supplies and sell more weapons to his country. On Thursday, Trump expressed frustration with his latest conversation with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which did not lead to any progress in ending the war, which is now in its fourth year.
Given Russia's apparent unwillingness to work towards a ceasefire, allies must "be confident" that Ukraine "has everything it needs to stay in the fight," Rutte said. He spoke at NATO's military headquarters in Mons, Belgium, after a ceremony welcoming the new commander of US forces in Europe and NATO's chief military commander, Air Force General Alexus Grinkevich.
Grinkevich told reporters that he was following the discussion, adding: "We will see more action over the next week or two."
The new commander said he would conduct a review of US forces in Europe during his first 90 days of service, "considering what the US position might be in the future."
The US is expected to present its military review later this summer, which could involve significant cuts in Europe, raising concerns among European allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, who have been kept in the dark about these plans.