Brussels: Europe and the Arabs - Agencies
During a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council in Brussels, NATO defense ministers affirmed their commitment to continuing military assistance to Ukraine in its efforts to confront the Russian army.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a press conference following the meetings of NATO defense ministers in Brussels yesterday, Thursday, “Ukrainian Defense Minister Umarov briefed the allies on the latest developments on the ground and we discussed the importance of our continued support,” according to what was reported by the Ukrainian Ukrainian news agency.
He added that in just the past few days, we have seen new aid packages announced by allies, including Canada, Finland and Norway, covering key capabilities such as F-16 equipment and spare parts, as well as air defence.
A group of allies met with the aim of delivering one million drones to Ukraine, and 20 NATO countries agreed to form an alliance to clear mines.
“All of this will help save the lives of Ukrainians,” Stoltenberg said.
He noted that NATO allies together represent 99% of total military aid to Ukraine, and that continued commitment is essential to preserving Ukraine's freedom.
He continued, "Since the Russian invasion, the United States has provided Ukraine about $75 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian aid, and other NATO allies and partners have provided more than $100 billion. So our support constitutes a true example of transatlantic burden sharing."
On February 15, a meeting of NATO Defense Ministers was held in Brussels, where a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council took place. Defense Minister Rustam Umarov participated in the event via conference call.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also warned, on Thursday, member states against allowing a “wedge to be driven” between the United States and European countries, amid mounting fears about the possibility of former US President Donald Trump returning to office, especially after he threatened to encourage Russia to attack. NATO countries that default on their financial obligations.
"I welcome European allies investing more in defense, and NATO has called for this for several years," Stoltenberg told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of defense ministers of NATO member states.
He pointed out, "There is no alternative to NATO. This is in fact a way to strengthen the alliance, and we should not proceed on any path toward trying to separate Europe from North America."
The Associated Press reported that in recent weeks, talk has emerged about Europe's tendency to develop a nuclear umbrella, noting that France and Britain, which view NATO as the main security organization in the world, are the only two nuclear powers in Europe.
France has traditionally considered itself a counterweight to US influence in NATO, according to the agency, which stated that it does not participate in the alliance's nuclear planning group.
"NATO has a nuclear deterrent, and it has worked for decades, and we should not do anything to undermine that. This will only create more doubt and more room for miscalculation and misunderstanding," Stoltenberg stressed.

French President Emmanuel Macron previously stressed the need for his country to maintain its independence when it comes to the potential use of nuclear weapons, indicating last December that France bears a “very special responsibility” as a nuclear power in Europe, and “stands by” its allies and partners. On the continent.

Talk about the European nuclear umbrella came from German members of the European Parliament and others, but Chancellor Olaf Schulz and other senior security policy officials believe that there is no alternative to NATO's nuclear umbrella.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius dismissed the controversy over European nuclear weapons, saying it was a "complicated discussion that should not be delved into because of the statements of an ambitious candidate in campaign mode," referring to Trump.