2023-07-14 01:11:10
U.S. “Let’s take out the expression ‘invitation’ from Ukraine” Maintain Draft End of Controversy
“Treat the West as Amazon?” Aftershocks from the UK Defense Minister’s remarks… Ukrainian “emotional remarks”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
[AFP 연합뉴스]
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Dong-ho = The fact that a tweet by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who expressed strong dissatisfaction with NATO leaders’ conditions for membership, almost backfired on the 13th (local time). belatedly known.
The West, especially the United States, which had been supporting Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February last year, expressed deep disappointment at President Zelensky’s attitude, and the atmosphere at the conference froze. .
On the 11th, the opening day of the NATO Summit, right before the official schedule began, President Zelensky tweeted about discussions regarding Ukraine’s accession to NATO, calling it “unprecedented and absurd that no timetable is set” and “uncertainty is weakness.” .
He exploded in anger when he learned that the draft of the NATO Joint Declaration, which was scheduled to be announced on the same day, did not specify a specific schedule for joining.
The Washington Post (WP) reported that those gathered at the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania at the time were surprised to see this tweet, and White House officials belonging to the US delegation could not hide their feelings of ‘anger’.
Officials from each country gathered in twos and threes to discuss how to respond, and among US officials, in particular, the statement that President Zelensky complained about, “We have agreed to invite Ukraine to join if the conditions for membership are met and allies agree,” was a complete reexamination. room was even mentioned.
President Zelensky surrounded by leaders at the NATO summit
[EPA 연합뉴스]
In fact, several NATO officials reported that the situation was so tense that at the time, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan called US President Joe Biden out of the meeting room and was caught discussing closely in the room.
The U.S., angered by President Zelensky’s remarks, seemed likely to go so far as to amend the declaration to make it less welcoming to Ukraine’s swift acceptance as a member state.
A NATO diplomat said, “Some wanted to replace the word ‘invitation’ to join with another word.”
A U.S. government official also admitted to reviewing the declaration, the WP reported.
However, after heated debate, the US delegation reached the conclusion that the phrase related to the invitation to join Ukraine should not be omitted, and eventually an agreement was reached to announce the joint declaration as drafted.
In particular, it is known that there was a strong consensus between French President Emmanuel Macron and Central European and Baltic countries that the original phrase should be adhered to.
In a situation where the United States and Germany are reluctant to commit to Ukraine’s NATO membership in order to avoid a full-scale confrontation with Russia, it is calculated that the agreed upon draft is the best solution that can be presented to Ukraine at present.
“Are we the Amazon?” UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace
[로이터 연합뉴스]
Eventually, on the 11th, the NATO summit announced a joint declaration as scheduled, and President Zelensky visited the conference hall the next day to express his gratitude to member countries.
But the embers of tension between Ukraine, which is increasingly demanding more, and its Western allies, which are tired of continued support, do not appear to have been completely extinguished.
An official said that on the 12th, aide Sullivan and chief of staff of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Ermak were seen having a conversation in a fierce tone for about 30 minutes at the Vilnius conference hall.
“Even Ukraine’s most powerful spokesmen are tired and outraged by these tensions,” the WP said.
The day after President Zelensky’s tweet stirred up the conference room, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s remarks targeting Ukraine, saying, “People want a little appreciation” and “we are not Amazon,” are interpreted as an extension of this atmosphere. do.
It was a warning to show appreciation for the West’s arms support.
In response, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at a press conference, “I have heard many thanks from President Zelensky.”
Ukraine received Leopard 2 tanks from the West
[AP 연합뉴스]
Ukrainian national security adviser Oleksi Danilov said in an interview with the British daily Guardian that day, “Anyone can get emotional and say something and regret it,” adding, “That’s probably not his real position.”
While criticizing that Minister Wallace made a ‘mistake’ out of emotion, he drew the line that it was just a personal remark, not the official position of the UK.
“We want more, but we are also grateful for what we already have,” Danilov said.
Danilov added, “We were able to survive the early stages of the war thanks to the United States and Britain, and the first thing our president spoke on the phone at the beginning of the war was Boris Johnson, then Prime Minister.”
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