President of the USA Donald Trump is actively pushing European countries to increase defence spending. This will be the main topic of the NATO summit in The Hague, scheduled for 24-25 June, to which Ukraine has been invited. With the increase in defence procurement in European countries, our country can count on greater assistance from its partners.
This was stated by Yehor Cherniev, MP, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to the NATO PA.
«Europe has finally woken up and understands that it needs to increase its defence budgets and increase defence production and defence orders. Of course, in this situation, we can rely more on help from our partners. When they have their own weapons production, our partners will be able to share them. Currently, the main problem is that Europe, unfortunately, cannot cover all our needs at the front, not because it lacks economic resources, but because it does not have such production. It is an increase in spending within the Alliance that will lead to an increase in production,» mentioned MP.
According to him, today Ukraine covers up to 40% of its personal needs at the frontline, another 60% needs to be found around the world.
The MP also believes that the NATO summit in The Hague will definitely take into account the statement of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic countries summit held in Vilnius the other day.
«This is actually a coordinated position of the leaders of the countries on the eastern and northern flanks of the Alliance, a region that is currently a security outpost for the whole of NATO. These are the countries that are closest to the fighting in Europe. The Vilnius statement described Ukraine's path to NATO as irreversible and non-negotiable in peace talks. Accordingly, maintaining this status quo will already be a success for us at the summit in The Hague,» the MP emphasised.