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Added on the 09/06/2022 16:31:22 - Copyright : France 24 EN
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says that alliance members must guarantee long-term weapon deliveries for Ukraine, as ministers prepared to discuss a proposal for a 100-billion-euro, five-year fund. Speaking in Brussels, where NATO foreign ministers are meeting to forge a support package by a July summit in Washington, Stoltenberg says "we must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul." "We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul so that we rely less on the voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments, less on short-term offers and more on multi-year pledges," Stoltenberg says as NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels. SOUNDBITE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has never asked for Western troops to fight Russia's invasion, the White House says after French President Emmanuel Macron said he would not rule out the idea. "President Zelensky isn't asking for that, he's just asking for the tools and capabilities. He's never asked for foreign troops to fight for his country," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby tells reporters. SOUNDBITE
Half of Western military aid to Kyiv is delivered late, says Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, as the country struggles with an ammunition shortage. SOUNDBITE
Ukrainian troops are starting to run out of ammunition as a huge package of US war aid requested by President Joe Biden remains blocked by Republicans in Congress, says US national Security Adviser Jake Sullivan during a press briefing. SOUNDBITE
The United States announces a fresh tranche of arms to bolster Ukraine's mounting counteroffensive against Russian forces, including armored vehicles, precision munitions and mine-clearing equipment. "Today, the Biden-Harris administration is announcing a new security assistance package for Ukraine, as we continue to stand with the people of Ukraine," says White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton. The $500 million package comes just days after Russia's own warmaking capacity appeared to fray with a mutiny by its privately run Wagner force. SOUNDBITE
Firefighters backed by soldiers continue to battle a wildfire in western Spain that has forced hundreds of people to evacuate from nearby villages, officials said. Local authorities blame arson for the blaze, which broke out Wednesday near the village of Pinofranqueado in the sparsely populated region of Extremadura bordering Portugal. IMAGES