Ukraine on ‘irreversible path’ for club

NATO individuals have pledged their assistance to Ukraine for an “irreversible path” to the club, in addition to additional aid.

The timeline for this was certainly not extreme, with 32 members of the military alliance saying they had “unwavering” support for Ukraine’s war effort.

NATO has also announced additional integration with Ukraine’s military and has committed €40bn ($43.3bn, £33.7bn) to aid in the coming year, including F-16 fighter jets and air defense support .

The bloc’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg noted: “Support to Ukraine is not charity – it is in our own security interests.”

A sustained invasion of Ukraine was at the peak of NATO control planning, and a declaration by all concerned definitively stated that Russia “remains the greatest and most direct threat” to security.

US Climate Secretary Antony Blinken revealed that US-made F-16 jets are in the process of being transferred from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine.

This would be the first time Ukraine has won the complex aircraft, which Kiev had been demanding for a long time. Mr Blinken suggested the jets would likely peak “this summer”.

NATO members agreed to establish a new unit to coordinate military support and training for the Ukrainian army as part of measures designed to deepen ties between the alliance and Ukraine.

The joint statement noted measures that, combined with assistance continuity to individual individuals, “build a bridge to Ukraine’s membership in NATO”.

It noted that Ukraine had made “concrete progress” on “essential democratic, economic and security reforms” in recent months – however, a formal club invitation would only be extended if “conditions are met”.

“As Ukraine continues this important work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership,” the statement said.

In some of its harshest comments excluding Beijing’s involvement, it also accused China of being a “decisive supporter” of Russia’s fight against Ukraine.

That prompted a sharp reaction from Beijing over the plan to the EU, which called on NATO to “stop promoting the so-called China threat and stop inciting confrontation and rivalry”.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday that the alliance was spreading “fabricated disinformation” on his country.

China has also called on NATO to stay out of the Asia-Pacific, saying the alliance’s efforts to improve military and security ties with China’s neighbors serve the country’s interests as well as pocket happiness and balance. Are weakening.

The response comes as Beijing holds military exercises with Belarus, the country that Russian President Vladimir Putin has pegged as a springboard for his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was once invited to a NATO summit and held conferences with global leaders, including his first meeting with Sir Keir Starmer after being Britain’s top minister.

Sir Keir advised Mr Zelensky that there could be “no change in support” for Ukraine’s war effort despite there being a new executive in London.

Mr Zelensky also met with US politicians from both the Democrat and Republican parties, a move to increase cross-party support for Ukraine after a standoff in Congress earlier this year. The massive military aid package is behind schedule by several months,

NATO leaders hoped that this presidential summit would provide an opportunity for the next smaller Russian powers on the battlefield in contemporary months to provide a joint entry on Ukraine.

On the other hand, there may be some resentment in Kiev that the wrong cloudless society once indicated how long it would take for Ukraine to be declared a full club.

The summit – which marked 75 years of the alliance – came just months before an election in which Donald Trump, a NATO critic, could return to the White House, and amid political troubles for US President Joe Biden.

Mr Biden, 81, met with alternative NATO leaders, some influential Democrats, on Wednesday He was publicly asked to leave the race There are fears that he will face off against Mr Trump, 78, in what could be a closely fought campaign.

Responding to a question from the BBC, Mr Stoltenberg declined to be specific on whether US domestic politics could impact the alliance.

He noted: “NATO is the most successful alliance in history because we have been able to stay away from domestic political debate.

“It’s impressive to me that I’ve been able to do what I can to assure that that’s still the case.”

Mr Biden used the summit to reaffirm his support for Ukraine and call for greater defense investment from other members who have lagged behind in spending.

He said Russia was on a “wartime basis” in terms of defense production with support from China, North Korea and Iran – and that leaders “cannot allow the alliance to retreat”.

The President said, “We will and can preserve every inch of NATO’s length.”