NATO Focuses on Heavy Weapons and Training, Not Fighter Jets, in Ukraine War Efforts

Ukraine War Efforts

Despite Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov’s optimistic demeanor, NATO is standing firm in its decision not to send fighter jets to Ukraine. While the option is still under discussion, the focus, for now, is on the more practical matter of ammunition supplies. After two days of diplomacy, NATO’s meeting concluded without a deal to send fighter jets. 

NATO’s assessment is that Russia is initiating an offensive focused on creating a long, attritional ground war. Russia has an advantage in its large population, willingness to accept a high casualty rate, and big stockpiles of munitions. NATO must adapt to this new reality of war, which now features trenches that resemble those from the First World War. 

The alliance has agreed to increase the production of ammunition for Ukraine, even though the likelihood is that Ukraine will use up supplies more quickly than they can be made. However, no country will want to leave itself empty-handed by sending all of its ammunition to Ukraine. The United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, noted that NATO must replenish its own stockpiles. 

Heavy weapons, including tanks, have been promised by various nations, including the UK. Ukrainian soldiers will need training on their use and maintenance, and spares must be delivered as well. However, NATO will need to work on how to deliver these resources to the right place, which is no easy task. 

America is keen to start a conversation on how other NATO members could spend more of their budgets on defense. NATO demands that member states spend 2% of their national turnover on defense, and the organization wants that to become a minimum instead of a target. This will be discussed at the upcoming NATO meeting in July. 

As for fighter jets, Ukraine has made it clear that it wants them, as well as more air-defense systems. However, the problem with supplying jets is that it takes a long time to train pilots to use them, and they require burdensome specialist maintenance. NATO nations prefer to focus on shells, ammunition, heavy weapons, training, and supply chains for now. These efforts are seen as key to holding Russia back and enabling Ukraine to launch a counter-offensive in the spring.