NATO Chief Claims US Aid to Ukraine ‘Not Too Late’ But Delay Had Consequences

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that the new Ukraine aid package did not come too late, although he admitted that the delay had left consequences.

"It is not too late but, of course, the delay has had real consequences. The Ukrainians are now for months being outgunned by roughly one to five, one to ten, depending on what part of the frontline you talk about," he told MSNBC.

Stoltenberg complained that Russia had much more ammunition, while the Ukrainians had been forced to ration theirs. The Ukrainian military has also been struggling to strike down missiles and drones because it lacks ammunition for air defense systems, he added.

The US House of Representatives passed a $61-billion bill on Ukraine-related aid on Saturday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he hoped the upper house of Congress would have a vote on it as soon as Tuesday before it is sent to the president's desk.

The package provides $23.3 billion to replenish US weapon stocks and $13.8 billion to procure advanced weapons. It also includes a measure to provide Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine.