NATO defense ministers have agreed to provide further military support to Ukraine, especially in the field of air defense, announced Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General, on Friday in Brussels.

Following a virtual meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, the Secretary-General informed at a press briefing that NATO concluded that there are air defense systems which can be made available for Ukraine.

"Besides the Patriot air defense systems, there are other weapons that allies can supply to Kyiv, such as the French SAMP/T ground-to-air missiles. Those allies who do not possess systems that can be spared have pledged financial support for Ukraine to purchase these," stated Stoltenberg.

While Stoltenberg did not specify how many new air defense systems Ukraine would receive, he noted that further announcements from allies are expected in the coming days regarding this matter. "Assistance is already on its way. I expect that further support will be announced in the near future," he emphasized.

The Secretary-General welcomed the progress made in the US Congress towards the voting on Saturday on a crucial aid package intended for Ukraine. "I count on there being no further delay," he added.

He mentioned that it's essential for allies to "dig deep into their inventories" and speed up the delivery of missiles and ammunition. "Ukraine uses the weapons we provide to destroy Russian military capabilities. This ensures our collective security. Supporting Kyiv is not charity, but an investment in our own security," he stressed.

According to the NATO Secretary-General, it is also "vital" that the Middle East conflict does not escalate. "No one benefits from another war in the Middle East. It's crucial that the conflict does not aggravate, hence we call on all parties for restraint," he said.

During the Friday meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that NATO needs to prove its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia by immediately accelerating weapon and ammunition deliveries. According to his words, Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to be "sobered up" and "the Ukrainian sky must become safe again."

"The decision is yours to truly be our allies. We cannot wait any longer for decisions this year. I urge you to consider our requests as quickly as possible," he emphasized.

He highlighted that the vote planned in the US Congress on Saturday about the $61 billion aid package is crucial for Ukraine. Among other requests, the president asked for an additional seven Patriot air defense systems, which he considers "the minimum". He also criticized the slowness of ammunition deliveries to Ukraine. Zelenskyy acknowledged that his military's resources are limited, but they are defending "bravely" against the larger Russian forces.

"It's clear that while Russia has the advantage in the air with its drones and missiles, our capabilities on the ground are unfortunately limited," he said. He added that since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has been the target of nearly 1200 Russian missiles and over 1500 Shahed-type Iranian drones.