NATO defence ministers gather in Brussels today, discuss further aid to Ukraine

NATO defence ministers will hold a two-day meeting in Brussels, which begins on February 14th, following a meeting in Germany of the so-called Ramstein group, comprised of dozens of countries that have offered weapons to Kiev.

The Ramstein group is expected to discuss possible further military assistance, as Ukraine has called on its allies to provide long-range fighter aircraft and rockets.

Secretary - General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has said the aircraft issue will be discussed at the NATO meeting, in which Ukrainian Defence Minister Olexey Reznikov will also attend.

Stoltenberg on February 13th supported reports by local Ukrainian officials that a major Russian offensive had begun. He has said the Western military alliance saw no “signs of” that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants peace.

“What we're seeing is that President Putin and Russia still want to control Ukraine”, Stoltenberg has said.

“We see how they are sending more troops, more weapons, more skills”, he added.

But Kiev is hosting an even broader offensive that could target not only the eastern regions of Donjeck and Luhansk, but also Harkivin in the northeast and the Zaporija region in the southeast.

In his comments on February 13th, Stoltenberg has said that NATO will increase targets for the collection of ammunition.