Ukraine on Thursday backed its ongoing co-operation with NATO as “full interoperability” and said it had gained access to the alliance’s modern weapons as the war with Russia continued for a ninth week. More than 40 NATO members and allied nations from around the world met for US-led talks in Germany and agreed to provide more assistance to Ukraine this week. Ukrainian soldiers board an armored personnel carrier on the outskirts of Kryvyi Rih on April 28, 2022. (Ed Jones / AFP via Getty Images) TREVOR REED LANDS IN US AFTER EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS WITH RUSSIA Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Thursday that there had been “tectonic changes at the level of philosophy” regarding Kiev’s relationship with NATO and other allied nations. “We have been convincing our partners for a long time that it is appropriate to provide Ukraine with Western-compatible weapons that meet NATO standards,” he said. “The transition to western calibers and technology is a strategic decision that has finally been made. “Gradually, this will ensure the full interoperability of the Ukrainian army with the armies of NATO countries,” Reznikov added. The defense minister said that since taking office last year, he has made joining the 30-member alliance a top priority. It is unclear whether Ukraine will still seek NATO membership, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the ambition last month amid peace talks with Moscow. But talks have stalled and Russia has refused to stop its deadly attack on Ukraine, even implying that it will look to neighboring Moldova next. Reznikov applauded the United States, which not only brought together nations from the European Union and NATO but also from Africa, the Middle East and Asia to encourage them to provide increased security assistance to thwart Russia’s progress. UKRAINE WARNS MOLDOVA-SUPPORTED RUSSIAN STRENGTHENING RECRUITMENTS Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, second right, speaks to his Lithuanian counterpart, Arvydas Anusauskas, at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (AP Photo / Michael Probst) “This is a real coalition, whose goal is not just to hold the Kremlin, but to defeat Russian tyranny, to give the civilized world a chance to win this war,” he said. The Defense Minister said that an advisory group has been set up that will meet once a month to coordinate logistics so that Ukraine can acquire the security defenses it needs. “For example, when decisions are made to supply Ukraine with one or the other weapon through coordination, weapons of the same type will come from different countries,” he explained. “I will not hide – three months ago this project was considered almost impossible.” Reznikov said the co-operation would not only help provide Ukraine with more efficient arms supplies, but would help “interoperability” between the defense industries as nations try to prevent Russia from expanding its campaign in Europe. The United States and its allies have repeatedly expressed concern over the deployment of untrained defense assistance to Ukraine. Ukrainian troops fired a BM-21 Grad multi-missile system into the Kharkiv region on Wednesday. (Reuters / Serhii Nuzhnenko) CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION But last week, a senior defense official said the United States was bypassing the issue by training a small group of Ukrainian forces in modern weapons in a third-country nation. These soldiers can then return to Ukraine to train their colleagues. “Our soldiers have been holding Western weapons for some time,” he said. “Now the training programs will be scaled up and expanded. “These are really historic changes that will take place in the coming weeks and months,” he said.
