NATO member states committed on Wednesday, December 3, to buying hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of additional U.S. arms for Ukraine, underscoring continued backing even as U.S.-led peace negotiations with Moscow remain stalled. Foreign ministers from the 32-member alliance met in Brussels to review Washington’s diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict.
The meeting followed five hours of talks in Moscow between U.S. envoys and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which produced no significant progress.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed the importance of reinforcing Ukraine’s military position regardless of how long talks drag on. “Negotiations are under way, and that’s positive,” he said, “but we must ensure Ukraine remains as strong as possible while they continue — and we don’t know when they’ll conclude.”
Germany, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, and Canada jointly pledged about one billion dollars to expand a program focused on acquiring U.S.-made weapons for Kyiv.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide reiterated the alliance’s unity, saying Ukraine must remain resilient, and NATO — “the largest and most successful military alliance in history” — must remain unwavering.
Allies also used the Brussels meeting to call on Putin to halt hostilities and engage seriously in the pursuit of a just, lasting peace. The UK’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, urged the Russian leader to “end the bluster and the bloodshed and be ready to come to the table.”
Ministers pushed back firmly against Putin’s recent claim that Russia is “ready” for war with Europe. Finland’s Elina Valtonen dismissed the statement as a scare tactic and emphasized NATO’s growing strength and capabilities.
The U.S. delegation was headed by a deputy, with Secretary Marco Rubio absent — a move that risked reinforcing concerns that Europe is being sidelined in President Donald Trump’s diplomatic push to resolve the conflict.
0 Comments