(13 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels, Belgium – 13 June 2024
1. German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius arriving for briefing
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Pistorius, German Defence Minister:
"Well, I’m very glad about the initiative the foreign minister of Germany and me launched a couple of weeks ago, and I’m very pleased that we achieved together with our partners, as I’ve just mentioned, Denmark and Netherlands and Norway to provide more missiles for that system Patriot in a short, short notice. This is very crucial because every missile is important, every system is important and therefore we have to do more. Air defence is crucial, even more than ever before in that war.”
3. Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds arriving
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Andris Spruds, Latvian Defence Minister:
"We, of course, provide the different air defence systems, including short-range air defence systems. Latvia has provided short-range air defence systems. But, of course, when we speak about those more sophisticated, the air defence systems, medium and long-range air defence systems. So, of course, in this case, there is to some extent a shortage of those systems and here we see that again movement takes place but it takes some time as well.”
5. Media
6. Officials arriving
STORYLINE:
NATO defence ministers gathered Thursday hoping to agree on a new plan to provide long-term security assistance and military training to Ukraine, after Hungary promised not to veto the scheme as long as it’s not forced to take part.
The ministers are meeting over two days at NATO headquarters in Brussels in the last high-level talks before a summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington on July 9-11, where the military organisation’s leaders are expected to announce financial support for Ukraine.
"I’m very glad about the initiative the foreign minister of Germany and me launched a couple of weeks ago, and I’m very pleased that we achieved together with our partners, as I’ve just mentioned, Denmark and Netherlands and Norway to provide more missiles for that system Patriot in a short, short notice," German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters as he arrived for the meeting.
Ukraine’s Western allies are trying to bolster their military support as Russian troops launch attacks along the more than 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, taking advantage of a lengthy delay in U.S. military aid. European Union money was also held up by political infighting.
Arriving for the meeting, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds said there was a shortage of "sophisticated" air defence systems in Ukraine.
"Movement takes place but it takes some time as well," he told reporters.
Since Russia’s full-fledged invasion in February 2022, Ukraine’s Western backers have routinely met as part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, run by the Pentagon, to drum up weapons and ammunition for Kyiv. A fresh meeting was held at NATO headquarters on Thursday.
The idea is for the 32-nation military alliance to coordinate the security assistance and training process, partly by using NATO’s command structure and drawing on funds from its common budget.
AP video by Mark Carlson
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