Ukraine, Rutte (NATO): 'Allies stockpile weapons'

French President Emmanuel Macron said today that the resumption of dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin is "being prepared", stressing, however, that Moscow does not show a "real willingness" to negotiate peace in Ukraine. Asked about the issue during a visit to French Savoy, Macron replied that the resumption of dialogue "is being prepared and therefore there are ongoing discussions at a technical level". The French president made it clear that everything is being done 'in transparency and in consultation' with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky: 'It is important,' Macron said, 'that the Europeans re-establish their channels of discussion'.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, on a mission to Kiev, said that "some European allies will send troops to Ukraine once an agreement is reached: troops on the ground, jets in the skies, ships in the Black Sea. The US will act as support, while others have promised to provide support in other ways. The security guarantees are solid. And this is crucial because we know that reaching an agreement to end this terrible war will require difficult choices. Ukraine must be confident that the sacrifices made, the lives lost, the devastation suffered, will not be repeated'.

Allied countries in NATO must "deplete" their arms stocks to send aid to Ukraine, particularly in the field of air defence, Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed, speaking today in Kiev before the Rada, the Ukrainian parliament. "The NATO command in Germany," he said, "is coordinating the provision of military assistance and training and is working with Ukraine to ensure that the allies know exactly what it needs, so that they can provide support. Through the Purl (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, ed) programme, billions of dollars of critical US military equipment are flowing into Ukraine. Billions paid for by allies and partners. Since we started Purl last summer, it has provided about 75 per cent of all missiles for Ukraine's Patriot batteries and 90 per cent of the missiles used in other air defence systems'.

"I know," he added, "that there is an urgent need for more and we are working to ensure that more arrives quickly, through Purl and by any means possible. I urge the allies to dip into their stocks, to offer whatever they can to meet Ukraine's needs, particularly air defence. The good news is that defence production is increasing in the allied countries and especially here. We are learning from you: you are innovating in unique and impressive ways. As a result, many NATO nations are working to invest directly in your defence industry,' he concluded.

This is the second time in a few days that Rutte has urged his allies to send armaments to Ukraine: in a hearing before the European Parliament's Seat Committee on 26 January in Brussels, he said he knew exactly which allied countries were sitting on large stockpiles of missiles, but would not name them publicly.