NATO Chief Stoltenberg urges Western nations to provide more heavy weapons to Ukraine

Amid the ongoing ravaging war in Eastern Europe, North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Western nations to provide more heavy weapons to war-torn Ukraine. His remarks came after an informal meeting with the leaders of seven European NATO allies in The Hague on Tuesday, June 14. Notably, the seven European NATO allies include the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Denmark, Romania, Latvia and Belgium. "Ukraine should have more heavy weapons, and NATO allies and partners have provided such weapons now for actually a long time. But they are also stepping up," he noted, the Associated Press (AP) reported. 

The latest meeting came after a conference of nine NATO countries on the alliance's eastern flank in Bucharest on June 10, where some leaders urged to beef up protection in the wake of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Stoltenberg also claimed that the alliance has already bolstered its defences, reinforcing its ability to safeguard and defend every inch of NATO allied territory. He also informed that the 'Contact Group on Support for Ukraine' will meet at NATO Headquarters on Wednesday, June 15. 

Zelenskyy says his country needs more long-range weapons

“We will take the next steps and agree on a major strengthening of our posture. We discussed the need for more robust and combat-ready forward presence, even higher readiness and more pre-positioned equipment and supplies," the NATO chief remarked. Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stated that his country needs more long-range weapons to counter Russian aggression. "We have enough weapons. What we don’t have enough of are the weapons that really hit the range that we need to reduce the advantage of the Russian Federation’s equipment," he claimed. 

NATO aims to boost its defence capabilities across its entire territory

It should be mentioned here that the war between Russia and Ukraine continues unabated and entered its day 112th on Wednesday, June 15. Meanwhile, NATO, European Union and several Western nations have provided continuous support to the war-torn nation since Russia launched a full scale war on February 24. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg has claimed that the military alliance intends to bolster its defence capabilities not only in the Eastern flank but across its entire territory.

Image: AP