Moscow: Russia considers the presence of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) military contingents in Ukraine inadmissible, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
“We have repeatedly stated our position at various levels that the deployment of foreign military contingents of NATO member states in Ukraine is unacceptable for us,” he said.
On Monday, leaders of the Coalition of the Willing held a virtual meeting in Kyiv to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. It was chaired by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The coalition said in a statement that it would continue to prepare the Multinational Force Ukraine to deploy once a credible cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine was in place.
Peskov added that Russia is confident in its victory and continues military actions in the absence of conditions for a peaceful settlement. “I can assure you, we are not just counting on it, we are confident that this victory will come,” he said.
Meanwhile, the European Commission on Monday approved 6.1 billion euros (about 7.12 billion U.S. dollars) in new defence procurement for Ukraine, covering air defence systems, missiles, ammunition and radars.
The Commission said the latest approval was in addition to 16 billion euros in previously approved procurement plans, of which 8.35 billion euros have been disbursed.
Most of the equipment will be sourced from European Union defence companies, the Commission said.
It said Russia’s increased use of ballistic missiles and jet-engined drones had heightened the need to accelerate deliveries to Ukraine by reprioritising orders and ramping up production.
The funding comes from the EU’s 90-billion-euro Ukraine Support Loan for 2026 and 2027. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU adopted legislation establishing the loan in February.
Under the disbursement procedure, Ukraine can request payments after signing procurement contracts with defence companies. The Commission will review the contracts before releasing funds to ensure the purchases are in line with procurement plans agreed upon by EU member states.
(IANS)
