'Winter is coming' in Ukraine, warns NATO chief

NATO and other Western delegates met at the US Air Force's Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Thursday to attend a Washington-led Ukraine backers meeting.

Participants were looking at long-term goals and military aid, which prompted NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to call on allies to maintain their support as the war approached a "pivotal moment."

"We need at least to be prepared for this winter, because there is no sign of Russia giving up its goal of taking control of Ukraine,'' Stoltenberg told the Associated Press on the sidelines of the meeting in western Germany.

"The war in Ukraine is approaching a pivotal moment where we see that the Russian offensive in Donbas has stalled. We see that the Ukrainians have been able to fight back, to strike back and regain some territory," he said.

Stoltenberg also warned of a long winter ahead for Ukrainian soldiers. As the conflict turns into a grinding war of attrition, Ukraine used the summit to ask for cold weather equipment, on top of more weapons and ammunition.

"Winter's coming, and winter's going to be hard on the battlefield in Ukraine. We know that the size of the Ukrainian army is now roughly three times as big as what it was last winter,'' Stoltenberg said. "They are in urgent need for more winter uniforms, for generators that create electricity, warmth, and also of course tents and other things that can help them through the winter."

Germany promises equipment, training

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said at the meeting her country would deliver electricity-generating equipment, tents and other material. Lambrecht and her Dutch counterpart Kajsa Ollongren also announced that they would be sponsoring training for Ukrainian soldiers in their homelands on mine detection, clearing mines and explosive devices hidden as booby traps.

The summit was also used as an opportunity to praise the Ukrainian military for the gains it had made in the face of an invasion by a much larger neighbor.

Ukraine has struck over 400 Russian targets with U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket systems, General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at Ramstein.

"We are seeing real and measurable gains from Ukraine in the use of these systems. For example, the Ukrainians have struck over 400 targets with the HIMARS and they've had devastating effect", he told reporters.

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pledged $2 billion in fresh aid to the Ukrainian military.

At the Ramstein meeting, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin promised that the US would continue to provide funds as needed, saying "I fully expect that we'll continue to receive broad bipartisan support because our leaders recognize... how important it is that we continue to help Ukraine have the ability to protect itself and its territory."

es/msh (AP, dpa, Reuters)