Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday in Vilnius welcomed the announcement of long-term military aid from the G7 countries, but stressed that it could not replace his country’s future membership in the Atlantic Alliance. .
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On the second day of the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital, and almost 18 months after the start of the Russian invasion, the members of the G7 (United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan ) presented a plan for the security of Ukraine.
This is to help kyiv fight off the current Russian offensive and to deter Moscow from any “future armed attack” against its neighbour.
If this announcement angered Moscow, it did not erase kyiv’s disappointment at not having obtained a precise timetable for joining the Alliance.
“The best guarantee for Ukraine is to be in NATO”, hammered Volodymyr Zelensky, after sharply reproaching the NATO leaders the day before for their procrastination which encourages Moscow to continue to sow “terror” in its country.
“We are not sitting idly by,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN. “We are supplying Ukraine with incredible quantities of weapons and […] we are ready to provide it with long-term security assistance, which of course includes the period during which it progresses towards NATO membership”.
This G7 declaration provides a framework for the subsequent conclusion of bilateral agreements between these countries and Kyiv, detailing the weapons they will provide.
“We must ensure that when the war ends there are credible mechanisms in place for Ukraine’s security so that history does not repeat itself,” said the NATO secretary general. Jens Stoltenberg, before the first meeting of the “Ukraine-NATO council”.
The Norwegian, who has just been reappointed for a year at the head of the Alliance, insisted on the progress made during this two-day summit. “Today we meet as equals and I look forward to the day when we meet as Allies,” he told the Ukrainian president.
The latter, who had interviews with several leaders, was yet to meet with US President Joe Biden. The tenant of the White House pleads for a model similar to that concluded with Israel, under which Washington is committed to providing substantial military aid over time.
Even before the publication of the G7 text, the Kremlin ruled that these “security guarantees” to Ukraine would “undermine Russia’s security”.
“Frustration”
Western donors have already sent weapons worth tens of billions of euros to Ukraine to help it fight the Russian invasion.
On Tuesday, Germany said it would provide more tanks, Patriot defense missiles and armored vehicles, worth an additional 700 million euros.
France has announced the dispatch 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.
But these promises, although necessary for the Ukrainian troops, do not meet the aspirations of Mr. Zelensky, who wanted to place kyiv under the collective defense umbrella of NATO.
The leaders of the member countries of this military alliance promised, on the first day of their summit, that “the future of Ukraine” was “in NATO”, and shortened the process that Kiev would have to follow to join the organization .
“We will be able to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when the Allies have decided and the conditions are met,” said the final statement.
A declaration that does not go much further than the commitment made in 2008 regarding future membership. The United States, the first military power, is worried about being drawn into a possible nuclear conflict with Russia.
“There is, of course, frustration on the Ukrainian side, and that’s understandable,” said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on her arrival for the last day of the summit.
On Wednesday evening, Joe Biden will deliver a speech at Vilnius University, in which he will outline Washington’s commitment to defending every square inch of NATO territory.