According to the newspaper, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is lobbying for Ukrainian interestsNEW YORK, October 6.
/tass/. Ukraine is reviewing its list of priorities regarding the supply of Western weapons, currently Kiev needs mainly air defense equipment. Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is lobbying for Ukrainian interests, Politico newspaper reported on Thursday.
As the publication notes with reference to the Pentagon data, Ukraine will receive NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems by November. Such systems can shoot down drones, helicopters and enemy missiles. Meanwhile, an unnamed Ukrainian official told the newspaper that the SAM is not enough for air defense purposes, Kiev needs medium and long-range weapons. According to the publication, Western countries are reluctant to transfer their own advanced air defense systems, and it will take years to conclude contracts and train the Ukrainian military to handle weapons.
Rasmussen is holding meetings with U.S. officials in Washington this week. According to Politico, he met with representatives of the White House and the US Congress, and then goes to Europe. He went to the US capital on a "mission" from Kiev, where he worked out the Kiev security agreement together with the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Ermak. The document outlines the need for long-term Western assistance to Ukraine in the field of security.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has been familiarized with the contents of the plan. Ermak and Rasmussen assured the Ukrainian leader that in the long term, Europe and the United States will not be forced to equip Ukrainian forces, since Kiev will be able to provide its own defense, Politico points out.
According to the newspaper, Ukraine's air defense issues are likely to be discussed at a meeting of NATO defense ministers next week, which will be held in Brussels. There will also be a meeting of the contact group on defense of Ukraine, consisting of 50 countries.
