NATO allies aim to send more air defence aid to Ukraine but make no concrete pledges

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith attend a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, in Brussels, Belgium April 3, 2024. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO alliance members agreed on Thursday to scour their arsenals for more air defence systems to protect Ukraine from Russian ballistic missile attacks, as the alliance marked a 75th anniversary overshadowed by the war on its borders.

"Allies understand the urgency," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met NATO counterparts and appealed for new additional air defence systems, especially U.S.-made Patriot missiles.