2023-07-12 20:17:50
7/12/2023-|Last update: 7/12/202311:23 PM (Mecca Time)
Today, Wednesday, the work of the NATO summit was concluded in the presence of the leaders of the alliance countries in the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, where the members affirmed their commitment to provide military support to Kiev that extends for years, while the Vice-President of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, warned that his country and NATO are “on the brink of war.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance had agreed to a package to develop Ukraine’s defense capabilities that “spans for years,” saying that “the world is facing great challenges.”
In the same context, US President Joe Biden said that NATO leaders had agreed that Ukraine would be a member “after the war.”
On the sidelines of the summit, the leaders of the Group of Seven countries issued a statement expressing support for Ukraine in its self-defense against Russian aggression, no matter how long it lasts, according to the statement.
The Group of Seven countries also announced its plan for security guarantees for Ukraine, including the provision of security assistance and modern military equipment, and confirms that Kiev pledged to enhance transparency and accountability.
Today, Wednesday, the G7 countries announced an international framework that paves the way for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine in order to strengthen its defenses against Russia and to deter Moscow from any future aggression.
Absolute support
In a joint declaration that other countries can join, the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Canada, Italy and Britain, as well as the European Union, said that this framework includes the provision of elements including advanced and modern military equipment, training, intelligence exchange and cyber defense.
In return, Ukraine will pledge to improve governance measures, including judicial and economic reforms and enhanced transparency.
For his part, Biden said today, Wednesday, that the Group of Seven issued a clear statement that its support for Ukraine will continue for a long time in the future after an announcement that defined a multilateral framework to support Ukraine, explaining, “We will remain so as long as necessary.”
In remarks alongside Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the multilateral agreement, which paves the way for bilateral negotiations with countries, represents an “important security victory” for his country.
Zelensky also revealed that the results of the NATO summit are good, and would have been ideal if Kiev had received an invitation to join the Western military alliance.
He added in a joint press conference with the Secretary-General of NATO that NATO’s recognition that Ukraine does not need to follow an action plan on membership is important, explaining that Kiev has made remarkable progress in its compatibility with NATO.
“The important outcome here is the recognition that Ukraine does not need a Membership Action Plan in its bid to join (NATO),” he said.
“near perfect” top
Stoltenberg said that NATO members confirmed that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance, explaining their commitment to provide security support to it to be a deterrent to Russia after the war.
Kiev’s partners in the West have trained thousands of Ukrainian forces, and Ukraine has relied heavily on Western arms supplies to fight Russian forces since February 2022.
NATO made it clear on Tuesday that Ukraine was welcome to join the alliance, but it did not specify a date or set specific conditions for its accession.
The alliance also abandoned the condition that Kiev fulfills a membership action plan and a list of political, economic and military goals that eastern European countries must meet before joining the alliance, thus effectively removing an obstacle to Ukraine’s accession to the alliance.
Zelensky confirmed that he had received positive news of new defense packages while he was in Vilnius, where he met with the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Australia and the Netherlands.
“We can say that the results of the summit are good, but it would have been perfect if an invitation (to join the alliance) had been sent,” he said.
In the same context, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, “President Biden is ready to defend every inch of NATO territory if Russia chooses to test Article Five.”
Sullivan added that “the accession of Finland and Sweden means that what Russia did in Ukraine and the response of the West led to the complexity of Moscow’s situation.”
Medvedev (left) vows: the Ukraine-NATO Council that was created “will cease to exist due to the demise of one of the parties” (Archyde.com)
brink of war
In the Russian reaction, the Kremlin said today, Wednesday, that the security guarantees that the West intends to provide to Ukraine would be a serious mistake that would affect Russia’s security and expose Europe to major risks for many years to come.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that the results of the NATO summit show that the alliance has returned to the plans of the Cold War, while the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, warned that his country and NATO are “on the brink of war.”
Medvedev added, in a tweet on Twitter, that the established Ukraine-NATO Council “will cease to exist due to the demise of one of the parties.”
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