Ukraine needs more supplies to survive winter says NATO chief

If the Western world wants Ukraine to survive this winter then it's going to need to provide its Eastern European ally with more support according to NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. 

“We need at least to be prepared for this winter because there is no sign of Russia giving up its goal of taking control of Ukraine,” Stoltenberg told reporters during a press conference in Ramstein, Germany. 

While Ukrainian forces have done a phenomenal job defending their liberty there are signs that the conflict is entering its climax, which could provide President Volodymyr Zelensky the opportunity he needs to finally push Russia out of Ukraine. 

“The war in Ukraine is approaching a pivotal moment where we see that the Russian offensive in Donbas has stalled," Stoltenberg said.

“We see that the Ukrainians have been able to fight back, to strike back and regain some territory,” the NATO chief added. 

What was once a static conflict of positional warfare has devolved into a grinding war of attrition that is taking its toll on both sides. 

The good news is that Ukrainian forces have proven their ability to break Russian lines when they’re provided with the right equipment.

Weapons and ammunition made a big difference in September in Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Kherson offensives and could be all that is needed to hold the current lines and even push Russia out of Donbas this winter. 

But Ukraine doesn't just need weapons and ammunition. The Armed Forces of Ukraine also need supplies, especially gear that will help protect their soldiers during the country’s brutal winters.

“Winter’s coming, and winter’s going to be hard on the battlefield in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said when talking about Ukraine’s needs. 

“We know that the size of the Ukrainian army is now roughly three times as big as what it was last winter,” Stoltenberg continued.

“They are in urgent need for more winter uniforms, for generators that create electricity, warmth, and also of course tents and other things that can help them through the winter,” NATO’s top official added. 

Stoltenberg has been using his influence within the NATO alliance for months to find ways of facilitating weapons and equipment shipments to Ukraine but has been facing several challenges from member states. 

While NATO and its allies have been in Ukraine with an unprecedented level of assistance, the dual crises of inflation and energy have tested the resolve of those willing to help Kyiv according to some analysts, especially in Europe. 

“If pipeline imports to the European Union from Russia drop to zero in 2023 and Chinese LNG demand rebounds to 2021 levels, then the European Union faces a serious supply-demand gap opening up in 2023,” wrote the International Energy Agency in a December 12th report. 

If put in a situation where Europeans needed Russian gas to fuel their homes and economies, it could make support for Ukraine to liberate all of its occupied territory politically unpalatable. 

“We still have three months of winter to go and storage levels have started to deplete at a fast rate, so it's still not certain that this winter will be as comfortable as some have now come to expect,” Rystad Energy analyst Carlos Diaz told Radio Free Europe during a December 20th interview. 

Stoltenberg is hoping to head off this kind of thinking which is why he directly addressed the citizens of the free world and pleaded with them to stay the course. 

“I understand that many people are frustrated and actually feel the pain in NATO countries with increasing energy prices, the cost of living,” Stoltenberg said. 

"But at the same time, we have to remember that the price we pay is measured in money… while the price that Ukrainians are paying is measured in lives lost every day,” Stoltenberg added. 

Stoltenberg also pushed people to remember that Ukraine was and always will be a sovereign country, adding that the war would end at some point. But it couldn’t end with a victory for President Putin. 

“If President Putin and Russia stop fighting, then we will have peace. If Ukraine stops fighting, then Ukraine will cease to exist as an independent nation. So, therefore, we need to continue to provide support,” Stoltenberg said.