NATO weighs a plan to provide long-term military help to Ukraine as Russian troops assert control

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the organization is debating a plan to provide more predictable military support to Ukraine as better armed Russian troops assert control on the battlefield. Stoltenberg said Wednesday that “support to Ukraine should be less dependent on short-term, voluntary offers and more dependent on long-term NATO commitments.” His remarks came at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, where the plan is under discussion. It’s hoped that NATO leaders will endorse it when they meet in July. The idea is to have NATO coordinate Western efforts to provide Ukraine with weapons and ammunition. It would be backed by significant financial support over several years.