While Ukraine may not have gotten exactly what it wanted from this week’s NATO summit – a firm timetable and roadmap for joining the military alliance – there were plenty of other things on offer at the two-day meeting.
A number of nations used the opportunity to announce new military aid packages for Ukraine, promising more tanks, more armored vehicles, more ammunition and air-defense and longer-range missiles; more may be yet to come as President Zelensky’s bi-lateral meetings continue.
Here is a summary of what was promised:
Germany
Germany, Ukraine’s second biggest supplier of arms to resist the Russian full-scale invasion, pledged another €700 million ($771 million) in military assistance to Kyiv.
It includes 25 refurbished Leopard tanks along with 40 Marder armored infantry fighting vehicles and 2 Patriot air defense missile launchers and missiles.
The German defense ministry said in a statement it would also send an “extensive package” for reconnaissance and drone defense, a Luna drone system and two military transport aircraft.
The equipment comes from existing supplies of the Bundeswehr armed forces as well as output from partner manufacturers.
France
An unspecified number of SCALP medium range air-to-ground missiles, the French equivalent of the Storm Shadow missiles provided by Britain.
French President Macron said the new missile delivery was designed to allow Ukraine to strike at Russian occupation forces “in depth” during its counteroffensive to liberate its territory.
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“The first missiles had been delivered when the president announced it,” a source told AFP, speaking at the summit. The SCALP/Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French weapon with a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles) – the longest of any Western weapon supplied to Ukraine so far – and Britain announced in May that it would supply a batch of the advanced weapons.
Russia reacted with fury, warning that London risked being dragged directly into the conflict, and even some Western allies were concerned that Kyiv might conduct strikes into Russia itself.
Norway
Norway is sending 2 more NASAMS air defense systems including 2 additional fire control centers, 2 launchers and spare parts as well as 1,000 Black Hornet reconnaissance drones.
Norway’s government said Tuesday it was pledging an additional 2.5 billion kroner ($240 million) of military aid to Ukraine, bringing the total to 10 billion kroner ($990 million) for the year.
“The defensive war being waged by Ukraine... is being fought now. It is now that [aid] is really necessary,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Gahr Store told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
The funds will be taken from a 75-billion-kroner ($7.4 billion) purse the Scandinavian country has earmarked for civilian and military aid to Ukraine over the period 2023 to 2027.
In practice, Oslo will this year allocate 10 billion kroner ($990 million) to military aid and 7.5 billion kroner ($743 million) to civilian support, rather than the 7.5 billion kroner ($743 million) initially planned for each. Store did not specify how the funds would be used or what equipment would be purchased.
Australia
Australia ramped up its support for Ukraine on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania overnight, pledging to send an additional fleet of 30 armored Bushmaster infantry vehicles at a cost of $67 million [USD].
But Kyiv has also asked Australia about the condition of dozens of retired F-18 fighter aircraft, which could provide a major boost against the might of the Russian air force.
A powerful defense package, full details not yet known but which will include 30 Bushmaster mine-resistant armored personnel carriers.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said conversations about providing aircraft were “ongoing,” but were much more difficult than other forms of military support.
“Aircraft become a much more complicated question,” he told national broadcaster ABC.
“The situation around aircraft is pretty complicated, but we will keep having the conversation with Ukraine around that.
“What we give, and what we do, needs to be practical and needs to make a difference.”
Canada
Canada will send an unspecified number or types of armored vehicles.
Japan
Japan will send an unspecified drone detection system.
UK
The UK will send more than 70 combat and transport vehicles and thousands of rounds of ammunition for Challenger 2 tanks.
Sweden
Sweden signed agreements on the exchange of classified intelligence and defense procurement.
G7 Nations
Sign a new framework agreement providing for long-term bilateral security commitments with Ukraine to include military equipment, increased intelligence sharing, expanded military training assistance in the development of the military-industrial complex.
US
The possibility of supplying Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles to be discussed — the White House.
F-16 TRAINING
The coalition of 11 nations will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter aircraft in August in Denmark, and a training center will be set up in Romania.
The training program will leave Ukrainian pilots and service personnel able to use F-16s in combat by early next year (if there is agreement to supply aircraft).
Coalition nations: Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and UK.
Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP)
Supplies of non-lethal assistance to Ukraine will be formalized into a multi-year program.
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