Nato member countries, with the addition of non-members Ireland, Finland and Sweden, are leading efforts to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons, combat clothing, medical supplies and rations, while being careful not to directly involve the military alliance itself, for fear of further escalating hostilities with Russia.
Ireland is providing clothing, fuel and medical supplies, while other non-members have gone further and supplied items like anti-tank weapons. Nato members are supplying military hardware.
The United Kingdom has, for example, so far sent 3,615 NLAW anti-tank guided missiles to Ukraine, and will soon begin transferring Javelin anti-tank weapons and Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles – armaments deemed defensive.
Denmark too has been open about its support for defending Ukraine by sending 2,700 anti-tank weapons. Ditto Norway – 2,000 anti-tank weapons and Sweden – 5,000.
Poland, Slovakia and Romania, which all share a border with Ukraine, are acting as the main supply hubs for the provisions in an attempt to avoid potential bottlenecks and the risk of losing deliveries to Russian attack once they enter Ukraine.
Nato secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, has cautioned Russia that attacking allied supply lines would represent a dangerous escalation.
The United States has approved a $6.5 billion (€5.9 billion) defence spending package for Ukraine – greater in value to the one it gave Greece and Turkey in 1947, at the beginning of the Cold War, which two years later led to the creation of Nato.
