NATO defence ministers arrive for Ukraine talks

NATO defence ministers met on Wednesday as alliance's member countries face twin challenges of struggling to make and supply weapons to Ukraine while protecting vital European infrastructure such as pipelines or cables, which Russia might want to sabot in retaliation.

In almost eight months since Russian President Vlimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine, 30-nation military alliance has been treing a fine line as an organization, providing only n-lethal support and defending its own territory to avoid being dragged into a wider war with a nuclear-armed Russia.

Individual allies though continue to pour in weapons and ammunition, including armored vehicles and air defense or anti-tank systems.

y're also training Ukrainian troops, building on lessons NATO has taught Ukraine's military instructors since Russia annexed Crimean Peninsula in 2014.But as Russian missile strikes across Ukraine this week demonstrated, this is t eugh.

NATO defence ministers were taking stock Wednesday of supply effort so far and to debate ways to encour defence industry to ramp up production in short order.

At same time, national military stocks and arsenals are being depleted. Some countries are growing reluctant to provide Ukraine with more when y are longer entirely sure that y can protect ir own territories and air.

issue, as one senior diplomat put it, is: "how do we arm Ukraine without disarming ourselves?" diplomat spoke on condition of anymity because discussions involve collective security concerns.

Ahe of meeting in Brussels, Canian Defence Minister Anita Anand anunced "an ditional approximately $50 million worth of military aid for Ukraine".

Also present at meeting was Finnish defence chief, Antti Kaikkonen, as his country seeks to become a full member of NATO, along with Sweden.