NATO members pledged to supply Ukraine with one million drones

NATO defense ministers met in Brussels and committed to providing Ukraine with drones for its Armed Forces. This was declared by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

This decision was made after two days of talks, the first in the Ramstein format and the second in the NATO-Ukraine Council. “Over the past few days, we have seen new commitments from the Allies to help Ukraine,” the NATO Secretary General stated.

Jens Stoltenberg, in particular, declared the first agreement in the “drone coalition” led by the United Kingdom and Latvia. “A group of NATO members have come together to supply Ukraine with one million drones,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.

The NATO Secretary General further stressed that the Alliance is nearly the sole provider of military aid to Ukraine. “Together, NATO allies provide more than 99% of military assistance.”

At the same time, Stoltenberg noted that, in many cases, such as with drones, European members take the lead in providing support rather than the United States, in response to worries in Washington about European countries’ lack of defense expenditure.

At a meeting in the Ramstein format in February, Ukraine’s Western partners formalized the “drone coalition” and announced the list of its members: NATO member states.

Drones have played a crucial role in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Kamikaze drones, which cost $500, can destroy armored vehicles valued at tens of millions. Drones enabled Ukrainian troops to stop Russian tank columns and assaults by the Russian invaders’ assaults.

On the other hand, Russian occupation forces use attack drones to target peaceful Ukrainian cities and Ukrainian military positions. To obtain an advantage on the battlefield, the Ukrainian army requires more UAVs.

NATO members, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, have already provided Ukraine with advanced spy drones until 2023. Now, NATO has committed to more supplies.