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Saturday, 27 April
politics

NATO's top military officer arrived in Kyiv: what he said about mobilization and the war in Ukraine

On Thursday, March 21, the chair of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer came to Kyiv to speak at the Kyiv Security Forum. He emphasized that the only need of Ukrainians is help from NATO member states, at the same time pointing out the need for mobilization.

It is reported by "European Pravda."

During the speech, he emphasized that he arrived in Kyiv for the first time after the start of the full-scale invasion:

"My visit is the first NATO military delegation to visit Ukraine since the large-scale invasion - is testament to the fact that NATO and Ukraine are closer than they have ever been."

He expressed "deep respect" for the Ukrainians, stressing that he would do everything for Ukraine to become a member of the Alliance:

"Every day we become closer, more interoperable, more intertwined. Together we are putting everything into place to make Ukraine a member of our Alliance. The Swedish flag will not be the only blue and yellow flag at the NATO headquarters."

In addition, the Alliance's top military official warned against excessive pessimism about Ukraine's ability to win the war, warning that "pessimists do not win wars."

"If the world may have been overly optimistic in 2023, we must not make the same mistake by becoming overly pessimistic in 2024," he stressed, calling for further support.

The chair of the NATO Military Committee pointed out that Ukraine's only need is help and support:

"The only thing you need... it's our help. NATO allies and many other nations around the world are providing unprecedented support to Ukraine, and it has made a real difference. But Ukraine needs even more support."

He also emphasized that the Ukrainian military, combining Soviet equipment with modern Western weapons, was able to quickly adapt and repel the enemy:

"Confronted with a combination of World War One trenches and artillery barrages and XXI century drone warfare and artificial intelligence, you have quickly adapted and fought back. You are pioneering with innovation, using combinations of Soviet style equipment with modern Western materiel."

However, Bauer noted that Ukrainians need not only weapons, but also military personnel to fight, so he considers it necessary to carry out additional mobilization in Ukraine:

"You need not only grenades, you need people to replace the dead and wounded. That means mobilization. "

Earlier we reported that former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that sending British troops to Ukraine "cannot be ruled out".