NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he counts on the United States' flexibility in supplying weapons to Ukraine, which needs resources for self-defense, despite Washington's suspension of some weapons supplies.
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Rutte hopes for US flexibility in arms supplies to Ukraine
“The US must ensure that its stockpiles are at the level necessary for its own security, because this is critical for our collective defence,” Rutte said.
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“At the same time, we certainly hope for flexibility, because we need to make sure that Ukraine can move forward,” he added, speaking to journalists.
This week, the Pentagon announced a temporary halt to the transfer of artillery shells and air defense systems to Ukraine.
The statement noted that the decision was made as part of a review of US arsenals amid the need to preserve weapons to respond to other security threats.
The suspension of deliveries occurred at the same time as a sharp increase in Russian air attacks on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities.
A record number of drone and missile strikes have exposed the vulnerability of Ukraine's air defenses at a time when existing U.S. funding is running out this summer.
Zelensky and Trump Conversation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Friday in an attempt to persuade the American leader to resume arms deliveries and sell more weapons to Ukraine.
On the eve, Trump expressed disappointment with the results of his latest conversation with Russian President Putin, which did not bring any progress on ending the war, which has been going on for four years.
Given Russia's reluctance to move toward a ceasefire, allies must “be confident” that Ukraine “has everything it needs to stay in the fight,” Rutte said.
New NATO Commander Europe Appointed
He spoke at a NATO military base in Monsey, Belgium, following the ceremony to appoint the new Supreme Allied Commander of U.S. forces in Europe and NATO's top military commander, U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkevich.
Grinkevich, addressing journalists, said that he was closely following the progress of the discussion: Let's see how events develop over the next week or two.
The newly appointed commander said he would conduct a review of the American military presence in Europe within his first 90 days, which he said would provide insight into what the future US positioning in the region might be.
The US is expected to present the results of that review this summer, which could include significant troop reductions in Europe, raising concerns among NATO's European allies, who have not yet been briefed on the plans.
