BRUSSELS — Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insisted on Wednesday that NATO allies are showing no sign of war fatigue and remain committed to helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia and take back occupied territory.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Kuleba also said that President Vladimir Putin is miscalculating if he sees any value in keeping his forces in Ukraine at least until presidential elections in the United States in a year’s time, which could usher in a new administration.
“I heard a clear ‘no’ to any reference to fatigue, and I heard (a) clear ‘yes’ to increased support to Ukraine,” Kuleba said after meeting NATO counterparts in Brussels. He said that some allies had made fresh offers of support, but he declined to provide details.
“They understand that in order for them to feel safe, in order for them not to end up in a situation where NATO’s soldiers will have to fight, Ukraine has to win in this war,” Kuleba said.
More than 650 days into the war, fighting between Russia and Ukraine has bogged down, with neither able to make significant gains. NATO believes that Russia has suffered around 300,000 casualties, but officials decline to speculate about the toll on Ukraine.
NATO as an organization does not provide military assistance to Ukraine, even though many members do on an individual basis and in groups. But supplying ammunition and equipment has become a challenge as national weapons stocks dwindle.
And the rhetoric has shifted. Six weeks ago, top NATO officials and ministers praised the slow but incremental gains that Ukraine’s armed forces were making. This week, the country’s mere survival was being hailed as a victory.
Still, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the allies are “determined to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, including to take back territory.” He said many NATO members want “to help Ukraine build a future force that can ensure deterrence, and ensure defense against aggression going forward.”
Blinken said the only thing preventing an end to the war “is Vladimir Putin and the extent to which he believes that he can somehow outlast Ukraine, outlast his people,” and Putin’s refusal “to engage in any meaningful way in diplomacy or negotiations.”
A senior U.S. official said that most, if not all, NATO allies do not believe Putin will agree to any kind of deal with Ukraine until after the U.S. election, and they approach their decisions on assistance to Ukraine with that in mind.
This means not only military aid but also reconstruction assistance, economic support and help with reforms to get Ukraine on a more sustainable path to NATO membership, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. He offered no specifics.