Member states are sending weapons, ammunition and many types of light and heavy military equipment to Ukraine, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, mortars and drones, as the Kiev government battles President Vladimir Putin’s forces. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told host Kay Burley that his organization was helping Ukraine “defend the right to self-defense” and prevent the war from escalating beyond the country. Live updates on the Ukraine war He stressed that NATO and its allies “were not part of the conflict” – but the alliance had increased its military presence, especially on the eastern flank, to send a “very clear message” to Moscow that if any NATO ally was attacked, the entire the alliance will respond. “The UK plays an important role in these efforts,” he added. Mr Stoltenberg said “the brutal reality is that, in the face of Russia’s military build-up, its willingness to use force against its neighbours, there is a need to invest more in defence”. He said the defense spending guideline for NATO members is 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the UK spends more than that, along with “more allies”. But he said: “We need to spend more on defence. I’ve been a politician myself for many, many years. And I know that, of course, it’s always more tempting to spend on health care, education, infrastructure. than spending on defense. “But when we live in a more dangerous world, when we see President Putin’s aggressive actions against a sovereign, peaceful nation in Europe – Ukraine – and all the threatening rhetoric against NATO allies, then we need to invest more. “And that’s exactly what NATO allies are doing.” Subscribe to Ukraine War Diaries on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Spreaker Norway’s former prime minister said NATO must invest in new and more modern capabilities to “ensure that we are also able to protect all allies in the future.” “The good news is that more allies are spending 2% or more on defense, and those not yet at 2% have, most of them, clear plans to get to 2%. He went on to say that “2% is a minimum. So of course we welcome the UK and others aiming for a higher level of spending than 2%”. Conservative leadership star Liz Truss has said that if she becomes the UK’s next prime minister she will increase defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2030. Her rival in the race for Number 10, Rishi Sunak, sees the 2% Nato target as “a floor, not a ceiling” and notes that it is to rise to 2.5% “over time” – but refuses to set “arbitrary goals”. “. Read more: What have Sunak and Truss promised for the country? Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 2:52 NATO will increase military spending Finland and Sweden, which have had neutral status for decades, have applied in recent months to join NATO. Mr Stoltenberg said: “Finland and Sweden in NATO will strengthen NATO. They have advanced armies, they have very capable armed forces. “And the fact that we will also have these two countries – important for the Baltic Sea, for the Baltic countries – as members of NATO will strengthen NATO.” Read more: Russian forces ‘tortured staff at Zaporizhia nuclear plant’ UN chief says Russia must abandon power plantRussia claims Ukrainian assassin killed ally Putin’s daughter Image: A Russian soldier stands guard in an area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said Russian forces carried out artillery and rocket strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine, where fighting took place near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for strikes on the Zaporizhia factory, which was seized by Russian forces in March. The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, will visit the site in a few days if access talks are successful. It said Ukraine had informed the IAEA that the shelling had damaged industrial infrastructure, including laboratories and chemical facilities. And there are fears of a nuclear meltdown at the power plant where a plume of radiation could be unleashed, possibly westward toward NATO countries. The situation at the nuclear plant is “dangerous”. Mr Stoltenberg said the situation there was “dangerous” and called on Russian troops to leave the plant. He said: “It is reckless for Russia to deploy forces to use the area around the nuclear plant as an artillery launch pad for attacks on Ukrainian forces. “So we need the International Atomic Energy Agency to have access to be able to inspect the site. We need the Russians to remove their forces from the nuclear plant and we need the Ukrainian operators to be able to do their jobs in a peaceful and controlled environment . “Because what Russia is doing around the power plant is dangerous. And it’s dangerous not only for Ukraine, but for all of Europe.”
