NATO meets in Vilnius, Ukraine demands guarantees

The leaders of the NATO countries will meet on Tuesday for a crucial summit in Lithuania at the gates of Russia to send a message of support to Ukraine. But as this summit approaches, the various countries are struggling to find a common position. Follow hour by hour the events of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

NATO leaders will meet on Tuesday for a crucial summit in Lithuania, at the gates of Russia, to send a message of support to Ukraine, which continues a difficult counter-offensive against Moscow and awaits commitments on its future. membership.

The meeting between the 31 leaders of the countries of the Alliance will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Vilnius, about 35 km from the border with Belarus, an ally of Moscow, and not far from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, under protection in particular Rafale aircraft deployed by France and Patriot -missile batteries of Germany.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is expected at that summit, called for “a clear signal” from Westerners about his country’s membership prospects. “Ukraine deserves to be part of the Alliance. Not now, because now is war, but we need a clear signal, and this signal is needed now,” Zelensky insisted in a message on Telegram.

All member states recognize that this prospect is not conceivable as long as the war lasts. Indeed, it would be synonymous with world conflict: Article 5 of the Alliance states that an attack against one member is an attack against all members.

But the debate between the allies thickens when it is necessary to formulate this promise of membership. Kiev “has its place” in the Alliance? kyiv must have “a path” to membership when “the conditions are met”? For weeks, diplomats have been looking for the subtle formula that will please everyone, including Kiev.

AFP