2023-07-07 16:35:57
The NATO leaders summit that is celebrated this July 11 and 12 in Vilnius (Lithuania) will mean a before and after for Ukraine. The meeting will be attended by the Ukrainian President, Volodímir Zelenski, although it remains to be confirmed for security reasons whether he will be in the Lithuanian capital in person or will participate by videoconference. In any case, the appointment, as explained by the allied secretary general, Jens Stoltenbergwill serve to bring the country even closer to the transatlantic organization with the creation of a NATO-Ukraine Councila multi-year assistance program and the political promise that Ukraine will become a member of the Atlantic Alliance.
“At the summit we are going to further strengthen Ukraine and we will establish a vision for its future,” explained the Norwegian politician, detailing the three elements with which they aspire to bring Kiev closer to NATO. “Firstly, we will agree on a multi-year aid program to ensure full interoperability between the Ukrainian armed forces and NATO. Secondly, we will improve our political ties, through the creation of the NATO-Ukraine Council. And thirdly, I hope that allied leaders reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and unite in the way of bringing Ukraine closer to its goal”, he specified, also confirming that Zelensky will be at the inaugural meeting of the new consultation and cooperation platform in which the 31 allied countries will sit – and Sweden when they join the club – and Ukraine “as equals”.
What will this new forum be used for? “If they feel threatened in any way and see the need for urgent consultations, then they can invoke this crisis consultation mechanism between two of Ukraine’s allies as members of the Council,” Stoltenberg said about the role of the Council, which will also open the door to the creation of subcommittees to address specific tasks, such as interoperability. “The idea is to establish a body where we do things together, decide things together, consult together on issues that matter to our security and strengthen cooperation and ties. This will bring Ukraine closer to NATO,” he added.
Accession of Ukraine
Although the allied countries are still negotiating the language of the final communiqué, Stoltenberg hopes to find the formula to renew the accession commitment and to send a clear message, remembering that the allies also already agree on many important principles when it comes to Ukraine and accession. “We agree that the doors of NATO are open. We agree that Ukraine will become a member, which is an important message. And we also agree that it is up to NATO allies and Ukraine to decide when the time is right”, he said in his appearance.
A sample of the political commitment to kyiv is the “unprecedented” shipment of ammunition of all kinds that Stoltenberg has celebrated although he has avoided commenting on the supply of cluster bombs to Ukraine. The Norwegian has recognized that the Atlantic Alliance does not have a position on this issue, although some allied countries –from Germany to Spain– have signed the convention on Cluster Munitions. This is not the case of the United States, which is studying the possibility of providing this type of weapon. “It is up to the allies individually to decide on the delivery of this military assistance to Ukraine. It is up to the governments to decide, not the Alliance,” he said when asked about this possibility. He has pointed out that the one who uses this type of ammunition in “a brutal war” is Russia. The difference would be that Moscow uses it in a war of aggression while Ukraine would use them to defend itself.
Regional plans and more spending
Stoltenberg has also confirmed that the NATO summit will take “important steps” to reinforce deterrence and defense plans with the adoption of three new regional defense plans to counter the two main threats facing allied countries: Russia and The terrorism. The first will focus on the north, the Atlantic and the European Arctic, the second, with an eye towards the center, will focus on the Baltic region and Europe while the third will be aimed at the south, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. For all this, NATO will adapt its hand mechanisms and create a new structure with the aim of keeping 300,000 soldiers on alert, backed by air and sea.
An agreement is also expected to come out of the meeting on the new Defense Production Action Plan to add demand, boost capacity and increase interoperability. Spain, which blocked the plan a few weeks ago, is a priori satisfied with the language of the agreement, NATO sources have confirmed. And the commitment that allocating 2% of GDP to defense spending will be a floor and not a ceiling. In this area, Stoltenberg has been satisfied with the latest spending data which confirm that this year the allied countries will allocate 8.3% to military spending. “This is the largest increase in decades and the ninth consecutive year that we have increased our defense spending. The European Allies and Canada will have invested more than $450 billion more since we agreed our defense investment commitment in 2014. Back then, just three Allies were spending 2% of GDP on defense. This year, 11 allies will reach or exceed the target”, he explained about the provisional data published this Friday.
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This is the case of Poland (3.9%), the United States (3.4%), Greece (3.01%), Estonia (2.7%), Lithuania (2.5%), Finland (2.4 %), Romania (2.4%), Hungary (2.4%), Latvia (2.2%), United Kingdom (2.07%) and Slovakia (2.03%). Spain, on the other hand, will continue for another year at the tail of the allied countries with a military expenditure of 1.26%, ahead only of Belgium and Luxembourg. spain, which will reach the 2% target in 2029, celebrates that the summit will value not only the 2% target but also the money invested in military equipment and R&D as well as contributions to operations, two areas in which it complies with You grow by being present in operations in Iraq, Turkey, Latvia and Estonia. In addition, Spain allocates 29% to military capabilities, above the 20% target set at the 2014 Welsh summit.
The Lithuanian rendezvous will also allow allied leaders to meet with their partners in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea and Stoltenberg trusts that it will culminate in an agreement with the Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan to incorporate Sweden. On Thursday Stoltenberg was confident in the possibilities of finishing solving the last obstacles on Monday. If the Turkish assembly, whose summer recess begins on July 15 and will not meet again until October, give its approval, he would have the last word. According to diplomatic sources, Hungary has also given signs that it would be willing to ratify Sweden’s accession before Turkey.
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