Ukrainian troops are ‘gradually gaining ground,’ NATO chief says

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, on an unannounced visit to Kyiv, said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces were “gradually gaining ground” in their counteroffensive against Russian forces.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Stoltenberg also said Russian troops were fighting for Moscow’s “imperial delusions.”

Stoltenberg announced that NATO now had over-arching framework contracts in place with arms companies worth 2.4 billion euros (US$2.53 billion) for key ammunition, including 1 billion euros in firm orders.

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He said such contracts would allow NATO members to replenish their depleted stockpiles while also continuing to provide Ukraine with ammunition, a key factor in the war.

Stoltenberg also condemned Russian strikes near Ukraine’s border with NATO member Romania. He said there was no evidence such strikes were a deliberate attack on Romania but branded them “reckless” and “destabilizing.”