NATO summit: expected security commitments for Ukraine
On the second day of a NATO summit organized in Vilnius, Lithuania, a plan with long-term commitments for Ukraine’s security is to be presented on Wednesday by the West.
Westerners are due to present a plan of long-term commitments to Ukraine’s security on Wednesday (July 12) on the second day of a NATO summit that disappointed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hopes of getting a precise timetable for his country’s accession to the alliance. .
The Ukrainian president, who sharply criticized NATO leaders for their unwillingness to integrate Ukraine, dined with them on Tuesday night, shortly after being cheered by a crowd gathered in the center of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
The Ukrainian leader is due to hold a series of talks on Wednesday. In an effort to reassure him, the G7 countries (Germany, Canada, US, France, Italy, Japan, UK) should issue a joint statement of support for Kiev in the coming years to help him fight Russia and deter future aggression .
“As Ukraine makes strategic progress in its counter-offensive… we are increasing our efforts to protect Ukraine in the long term,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
“We do not want to see a repeat of what happened in Ukraine. This statement reaffirms our commitment to ensure that Ukraine is never again vulnerable to the type of aggression perpetrated by Russia,” he added.
The joint declaration will form a framework for the subsequent conclusion of bilateral agreements between these countries and Kiev, detailing the weapons they will supply.
US President Joe Biden has already offered Ukraine a model similar to the one with Israel, under which Washington promised to provide the country with military aid of $3.8 billion a year over a period of ten years.
Western donors have already sent weapons worth tens of billions of euros to Ukraine to help the country fight the Russian invasion.
On Tuesday, Germany said it would supply more tanks, Patriot defense missiles and armored vehicles worth an additional 700 million euros.
France has announced the shipment of long-range “Scalp” missiles to Ukraine and an 11-nation coalition has said it will begin training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets from next month.
“Uncertainty is a weakness”
But these pledges, while necessary for the Ukrainian troops, do not meet the expectations of Volodymyr Zelensky, who wanted to place Kiev under NATO’s collective defense umbrella.
The leaders of the member countries of this military alliance promised on the first day of their summit that “Ukraine’s future” was “in NATO”, and shortened the process that Kiev had to follow to join the organization.
“We will be able to issue an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance once the Allies have decided and the conditions are met,” a statement said.
A statement that does not go much further than the commitment in 2008 for future membership. The United States, the number one military power, is concerned about being drawn into a possible nuclear conflict with Russia.
Even before the publication of the NATO press release, Volodymyr Zelensky had described as “absurd” the fact that no deadline was set for membership. “Uncertainty is a weakness,” he thundered.
To convince Volodymyr Zelensky that his country is approaching the Alliance, a first meeting of a Ukraine-NATO Council will take place in Vilnius. This allows the Ukrainian leader to sit around the table to set the agenda for talks with the Alliance, although he is still far from a member of the club.
On the sidelines of this meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with several leaders, including Joe Biden, to gain increased support.
Later, the US president will also give a speech at Vilnius University, where he will outline Washington’s commitment to defend every square centimeter of NATO territory.
AFP
