Russia-Ukraine War NATO Will Invite Ukraine When ‘Conditions Are Met’
Russia-Ukraine War NATO Will Invite Ukraine When ‘Conditions Are Met’
VILNIUS, Lithuania — The phrasing of the joint statement that the leaders of NATO agreed to issue to Ukraine indicated that they will invite Ukraine to join NATO, but they did not specify how or when they will do so. This was effectively a triumph for President Biden, who stated prior to the meeting that Ukraine was not prepared to become a member of NATO.
During a summit that was being held in Vilnius, Lithuania, the leaders of the alliance had a difficult time reaching a consensus on the terminology that would be used to establish a schedule and the conditions for what everyone accepts will eventually be Ukraine’s membership in NATO.
In their communiqué, the leaders of the 31 member states stated that Ukraine would get an invitation “when allies agree and conditions are met,” and that there would be regular reviews of the country’s progress towards achieving NATO requirements on democracy and military integration. In addition, the leaders stated that there would be an invitation extended to Ukraine “when allies agree and conditions are met.”
The argument has once again shown divides among Western allies that have grown throughout the war, with European governments closest to Russia pushing for more and faster support for Ukraine and the Biden administration opting for a more cautious approach – frequently to Kyiv’s displeasure. The debate has also shown that there is a lack of consensus among Western allies regarding how to best support Ukraine.
The language is significantly more moderate compared to what President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated is required in light of Russia’s invasion. Earlier on Tuesday, the leader of Ukraine expressed his ongoing dissatisfaction with NATO for its lack of transparency, describing it as “absurd” and adding, “Uncertainty is weakness.”
Later, when he arrived in Vilnius, the leader of Ukraine seemed to tone down his previous statements. He told a throng that he had come to Lithuania with “faith in partners” and in a strong NATO that “does not hesitate.”
Other recent events include the following:
According to Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO, Mr. Zelensky was present at a dinner with the leaders of NATO countries on Tuesday evening. He is also scheduled to attend the inaugural meeting of the NATO Ukraine Council on Wednesday. This is a new group that will give Ukraine an equal voice on key issues alongside full member states. According to officials from the White House, a meeting between Mr. Biden and Mr. Zelensky is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
For the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union, NATO countries provided political assent to comprehensive plans aimed to assure the alliance’s collective military defence against a major attack by a state like Russia, which upended NATO’s strategic assumptions with its invasion of Ukraine. These preparations were designed to ensure the alliance’s ability to defend itself against a major attack by a country like Russia.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, made an unexpected about-face on Monday that allowed Sweden’s bid to join NATO. This action was in response to tremendous pressure from Joe Biden and other allies. Mr. Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, stated that the president will move forward “in consultation with Congress” with the transfer to Turkey of the F-16 fighter fighters that Turkey is requesting. Sullivan was speaking on behalf of Mr. Biden.
The Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv came under attack by Russian forces early on Tuesday morning with a swarm of drones, all of which were successfully intercepted by the city’s military administration. In the immediate aftermath, there were no reports of any injuries or fatalities.
At a NATO summit held in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius on Tuesday, government ministers announced that Denmark, the Netherlands, and nine other European countries have established a coalition to train Ukrainian pilots to use F-16 fighter jets. This action was carried out with the approval of the United States of America. A school will be set up in Romania to instruct the Ukrainian pilots.
The coalition is a part of attempts by Ukraine’s allies to enable the country to speedily put into service the cutting-edge jets if the United States, which is the aircraft’s manufacturer, authorises their delivery.
Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, made these remarks on the sidelines of the summit. “We had the American ‘yes’ on training,” he remarked. “A ‘yes’ from the United States government regarding the actual use of F-16s in combat by Ukrainian fighter pilots is obviously the next step that needs to be taken.”
Since the beginning of the conflict, Ukraine has been arguing for many months that the addition of F-16s to its existing fleet would be beneficial for both air defence and the attack of targets in regions of Ukraine that are held by Russian forces that are located well behind the front lines of the conflict.
On the other hand, the administration of Vice President Joe Biden has placed a primary emphasis on the delivery of weaponry that will assist Ukraine in its counteroffensive against Russia. This is a campaign that many people in the West hope will mark a significant turning point in the conflict. A top official in the United States has stated that the expense of sending F-16s would consume a significant portion of an already diminishing pot of cash for the United States’ war efforts.
It is currently unknown whether or not the United States will maintain its reluctance. The previous government of Joe Biden refused to cooperate with numerous of Ukraine’s requests for modern weapons. However, after receiving pressure from allies in Europe and from Congress, they eventually gave in and agreed to fulfil those requests.
Troels Lund Poulsen, who is serving as Denmark’s interim defence minister, stated that there will be results by the beginning of the following year, but he did not provide many additional specifics. According to comments made by Mr. Poulsen that were reported by Janes, a defence intelligence group, a month ago, Denmark had already started training pilots.
Oleksii Reznikov, the defence minister of Ukraine, stated that the government was eager to get the planes, but he admitted that it was difficult to lay the groundwork for the arrival of what he referred to as “very sophisticated systems.”
He explained to journalists in Vilnius that the training courses for pilots, as well as the training courses for our engineers and technicians, will take some time. “At the same time, we will get our infrastructure and airfields ready,” the statement read.
