NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warns feared Russian spring offensive ‘may have begun’

Ukraine is burning through ammunition much faster than western countries can maintain supplies, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg reveals.

Destroyed Russian military equipment in Mykhailivs'ka Square in downtown Kyiv. Picture: AFP.

Ukraine is burning through ammunition much faster than western countries can maintain supplies, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg revealed, as he warned the feared Russian springtime offensive may have already begun.

Mr Stoltenberg also insisted that any supply of fighter jets to Ukraine by NATO allies – as pleaded for last week by Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky – would not drag the organisation into a war with Russia.

Ahead of a two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels this week, Mr Stoltenberg said there were increasing discussions about fighter jets: “The important thing is that NATO is not a part of the conflict, even though NATO Allies provide advanced weapons systems to Ukraine. We have the right to provide support for them because Ukraine defend themselves against the war of aggression. And then regardless of what you think about aircraft that will take time, so we need to now at least ensure that we deliver what we can deliver in the short term, because that can really make a difference on the battlefield in the coming weeks and months.”

He said he possibility of NATO allies delivering aircraft to Ukraine so they can use themselves was very different to discussions last year about whether NATO should establish a no fly-zone over Ukraine and associated use of NATO planes to enforce such a no fly-zone.

He explained: “If NATO was going to send NATO planes to enforce with a NATO presence in the airspace of Ukraine, and no fly zone, that will be direct NATO involvement. It’s a very different thing to provide the Ukrainians with different types of military capabilities that will not make us party to the conflict.”

Mr Stoltenberg stressed “We support Ukraine in upholding the right to self-defence that a right that is enshrined in the UN charter. And we have the right to support Ukraine.”

He warned that the Russian aggression in Ukraine was a “race of logistics” and that while NATO members and allies, including Australia, have been providing ammunition from their own stocks, waiting times for large calibre ammunition has grown from a year to two years. Earlier this month Australia agreed a deal with France to supply gunpowder for French shells to be sent to Ukraine. France, as well as the United States have also signed new long term deals with arms manufacturers to ramp up production of ammunition so that countries can replenish their own supplies while also contributing to Ukraine.

”We see no sign whatsoever that President Putin is preparing for peace … What we see is President Putin and Russia still wanting to control Ukraine,’’ Mr Stoltenberg said.

Mr Stoltenberg warned that on the eve of the anniversary of the Kremlin’s offensive against Ukraine on February 24, Russia has begun a fresh offensive.

“I think the reality that we’re seeing the start already, because we’re seeing what Russia and what President Putin do now, is sending thousands and thousands of more troops, accepting a very high rate of casualty, taking big losses, but putting pressure on the Ukrainians. And what Russia lacks in quality, they try to compensate in quantity, meaning that the leadership, the logistics, the equipment, the training, don’t have the same level as the Ukrainian forces, but they have more forces. And the Russians are willing to sending those forces and take a high number of casualties. So for me, this just highlights the importance of timing. It’s urgent to provide Ukraine with more weapons.”

He urged NATO allies to ensure ammunition, fuel, and spare parts reach Ukraine before Russia could seize any initiative on the battlefield. “Speed will save lives,’’ he said.

Mr Stoltenberg said the challenge of having enough ammunition was also a big challenge for Russia.

“It just shows that this is a war of attrition, and the war to attrition becomes a battle of logistics,” he said.

Mr Stoltenberg said if President Putin wins in Ukraine it will be a “tragedy”, not just for Ukrainians, but a dangerous development for all NATO nations. “It will make us more vulnerable because the message to him would then be that when he uses military force or violates the international law, he gets what he wants,” he said.