NATO Reaffirms Commitment To Stepping Up Military Aid

In a fairly routine statement following the latest NATO-Ukraine Council meeting, NATO ambassadors reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening Ukraine's defences. The meeting comes at the behest of Kyiv following an escalation in Russian airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and key infrastructure, as well as advances by Moscow's forces in the Donbas that threatens the strategically important town of Provrovsk.

• NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said, "In the wake of the latest Russian assault, Allies today reaffirmed they are stepping up their military aid to Ukraine. We must continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment and munitions it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. This is vital for Ukraine’s ability to stay in the fight.”
• Ukraine continues to call on its Western allies to enable the use of long-range missiles against the Russian Federation from Russian territory in the Kursk oblast currently controlled by Ukrainian troops. The west is seen to be reluctant to allow this, fearing escalation that ends with direct Russia-NATO confrontation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on 27 Aug that the West was 'playing with matches' when it came to the prospect of the use of such weapons.
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said earlier on 28 Aug that "Ever since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, the biggest problem Ukraine has been facing is the domination of the concept of escalation in the decision-making processes among our partners,"