Nato military committee chief, in Kyiv, calls for strong allied support
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Admiral Rob Bauer addresses the Kyiv Security Forum, in the first official visit to Ukraine's capital by a Nato military delegation since Russia invaded in February 2022.
PHOTO: KYIV SECURITY FORUM
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KYIV - Nato Military Committee chief Rob Bauer said during a visit to Kyiv on March 21 that Ukraine's allies should not be too pessimistic about its ability to repel Russian troops and called for important aid packages to be delivered quickly.
Admiral Bauer led the first official visit to Kyiv by a Nato military delegation since February 2022 when Russia sent thousands of troops to Ukraine in a multi-pronged invasion.
Kyiv's troops are facing shortages of ammunition shells and manpower, and are on the back foot in the east where Russian forces are inching forward.
"Ukraine needs even more support. And you need it now. Time in Ukraine is not measured in days, weeks or months. It is measured in human lives. In allied nations a week is a week. In Ukraine a week is a mother, a father, child, friend, lover, lost forever," he told the Kyiv Security Forum.
He hailed Ukraine's resilience and ability to adjust quickly while changing many aspects of modern warfare.
Adm Bauer also met Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi for talks on the current combat situation.
Colonel-General Syrskyi said on Facebook that ammunition supplies and air defences were discussed.
With Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Adm Bauer had a talk on prospects for combat training for Ukrainian servicemen and defence industries cooperation, the ministry said.
"While the world may have been overly optimistic in 2023 we should not make the same mistake becoming overly pessimistic in 2024," Adm Bauer told the forum, expressing confidence in Ukraine's ability to succeed on the battlefield. REUTERS
