“Given the counteroffensive that Ukraine is carrying out, I’ve decided to up our arms and equipment deliveries… [including] new missiles capable of long-range strikes,” said President Emmanuel Macron at the NATO conference in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Ukrainian officials have been asking for more weapons from Western countries to help them mount their counteroffensive, and have in particular been clamoring for long-range capacities like fighter jets and missiles, Financial Times reported.
The UK was the first country to pledge to deliver such long-range missiles to Ukraine in May.
Ukraine applied for fast-track NATO membership in September 2022 following the start of the Russian military operation in February of that year.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has on numerous occasions said that the bloc was supportive of Kyiv's aspirations but was not ready to approve its bid to join right away, chiefly due to Ukraine's active involvement in the current armed conflict.
MP/PR