(Photo : ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
The head of NATO calls on Western countries to send more weapons more quickly to help Ukraine regain land taken by Russia, particularly the Crimean peninsula, which has been occupied since 2014.
On Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg vowed to continue supporting Ukraine in its grinding battle of attrition against Russia.
In the run-up to the six-month anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Stoltenberg, along with scores of other international leaders, took part digitally in a discussion organized by Ukraine.
NATO Chief Urges More Weapons for Ukraine
The NATO Secretary-General stated that the alliance must continue its assistance for Ukraine for the long term for Kyiv to effectively repel Russian soldiers from its borders. However, as world leaders pledge to continue supporting Ukraine militarily and through humanitarian aid, Kyiv is ensuring that it has the international support it needs to reestablish Ukraine's sovereignty throughout the country, especially on the Crimean Peninsula.
In Tuesday's conference, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy advocated for the support of roughly 60 nations and international organizations, including the presence of 40 presidents and prime ministers. While the Ukrainian president praised the assistance shown to Kyiv since Russia's February incursion, he claimed that the failure to hold Moscow accountable for its 2014 invasion and takeover of Crimea is the reason Ukraine is at war today.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy believed that the only way to maintain European security was to prevent Russia's military objectives in Ukraine from achieving. Russia has used its position in Crimea as a launching pad for its invasion, not only to give logistical assistance in the country's southern and eastern regions but also for tactical purposes, Fox News reported.
NATO nations, primarily the United States, have provided the majority of Ukraine's military support. To justify Moscow's most recent incursion, Russian authorities, including Putin, mentioned Ukraine's ambition to join NATO as a key grievance. With Finland and Sweden ready to join the alliance after decades of neutrality, Russia's costly effort in Ukraine may have backfired.
Russia Might Attack During Country's Independence Day
According to Republic World, NATO's "open door" policy remains in force, despite Kremlin demands that Kyiv be blocked from future membership. The alliance has taken a more robust position on its eastern frontier. "We have reinforced our footprint in the alliance's east," Stoltenberg added.
The fear in Ukraine grew on Tuesday as warnings surfaced that Russia may attempt to disrupt the country's Independence Day celebration and celebrate the six-month milestone of the war with further strikes. Anxiety also grew following the weekend car explosion outside Moscow, which killed the daughter of a prominent right-wing Russian political thinker. Ukraine was accused by Russia of carrying out the strike. Despite Ukraine's denial, the tragedy sparked worries of Russian reprisal.
Hundreds of people paid respect to the bombing victim, Darya Dugina, 29, the daughter of Alexander Dugin, a writer called "Putin's brain" and "Putin's Rasputin" for his alleged influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Dugina, a pro-Kremlin TV broadcaster, was killed when the SUV she was driving blew up on her way home after a patriotic event on Saturday night. Her father, a staunch supporter of the Ukrainian invasion, was generally assumed to be the intended target.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned over the weekend that Russia "may attempt to do something extremely ugly, something particularly brutal" this week. When he hoisted the national flag at a monument one day before Independence Day on Tuesday, Zelenskyy emphasized defiance rather than anxiety, as per ABC News.
Related Article: US Citizens Urged To Leave Ukraine as Russia Is Expected To Hit Civilian Infrastructures, Government Facilities in the Coming Days
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