NATO Set to Drop Billions on Ukraine Contracts as Poland Warns Putin: "Don't Do It"
NATO allies are preparing to announce tens of billions of dollars in new contracts for Ukraine, while Poland issues a stark warning to Moscow that the alliance knows about any planned provocations and will respond forcefully.
Speaking ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said allies must ensure Ukraine gets the support it needs in its war with Russia. Rutte stated that allies will announce contracts worth tens of billions of dollars to "deter and defend," outlining new military and financial commitments for Ukraine [190321].
The summit comes amid heightened tensions, with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski issuing a direct warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We know what you're planning. Don't do it," Sikorski said, adding that the alliance's response to any provocation would be coordinated and firm [188285]. Polish officials, citing U.S. intelligence, have warned that Moscow may be planning an armed "provocation" against Poland to escalate tensions and force the West to stop supporting Ukraine [188734].
European allies have mostly replaced military assets that the United States cut from its contingency plans for a war in Europe, according to Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe John Stringer. "European allies have definitely stepped up in terms of backfilling the adjustment in the U.S.," Stringer said ahead of the summit [188689].
Meanwhile, Turkey's media regulator, RTÜK, ordered television channels to align their programming with a "national security perspective" ahead of the summit, reminding broadcasters that their schedules are being "meticulously" monitored [189896]. Separately, a Turkish freedom of expression group reported that authorities blocked more than 20 accounts on the social media platform X, citing "national security" and "public order" as reasons [188925].