Zelensky calls for “clear” decision on Ukraine’s NATO membership during summit in Moldova

First modification: 06/01/2023 – 20:28

“This year is for decisions.” With these words the president of the nation invaded by Russia for more than 15 months, Volodimir Zelenski, pressed to accelerate the process of annexing his country to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

This is a request made by Kiev before Russia ordered the war against it and one of the reasons that Moscow cited to justify its invasion, after alleging “threats” from the expansion of the US-led political-military alliance. towards its borders.

“For the summer summit, in Vilnius, a clear invitation and security guarantees from member countries are needed about Ukraine on its way to NATO membership,” said the Ukrainian president.

His remarks came just hours after the 18th Russian attack on kyiv in a month. Also at a time when a major Ukrainian counteroffensive is expected to recover the territories that have been seized by the invading troops during the ongoing war, although its Army has also indicated that it aims to recover even the province of Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014. .

“Our future is in the European Union and Ukraine is ready to join NATO,” Zelensky remarked, referring to the official rapprochement that his nation, a former ally of Moscow in the former Soviet Union, has sought for years with the Western world and that they infuriated. to the Kremlin.

In fact, the rupture generated by the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 has been described by Vladimir Putin as “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century”, a speech that it uses in the background of its ambitions to seize Ukrainian territories that it does not recognize as sovereign and independent.

But kyiv’s calls resonate with some of Europe’s allies. On Wednesday, on the eve of the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron called on the international community to offer Ukraine “tangible and credible” Israeli-style security guarantees, saying it is a matter of interest to the entire European continent.

“We have to build something between the security provided to Israel and full membership,” Macron said.

The security guarantees are seen as the promise of long-term partnership, with US and European defense capabilities, even if it does not hold full alliance membership. Membership in the organization is not possible while the war is in progress, as it would drag NATO countries to become directly involved on the ground to defend one of their members, as established in their statutes.

Some governments have suggested that countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and others station their troops in Ukraine after the war, in the same way that NATO offers security to member states that border Russia.

However, divisions among alliance members persist amid fears that such a move could bring the organization closer to a direct confrontation with Moscow troops.

Although the focus of the meeting was Ukraine, the leaders and heads of state of the 47 participating countries also addressed the recent violence between Serbia and Kosovo, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Zelensky says he received strong support on supply of fighter jets

At the end of the meeting, the Ukrainian head of state assured that he received a strong show of support from the allies who attended the summit in Moldova on the delivery of combat aircraft to Kiev to repel Russian troops.

“We discussed issues related to the start of training of pilots on F-16 fighters and other types of aircraft. We agreed to continue working on an official decision to create the Ukrainian combat aircraft coalition at the next meeting in the Ramstein format. after further consultation with the United States,” he said.

For several months, Zelensky has insisted on the delivery of US-made F-16 aircraft. Recently, Washington gave the green light so that other nations that have these devices can supply them to the attacked nation.

During the meeting on June 1, Zelensky insisted on achieving what he calls a “potential coalition of planes” and the delivery of Patriot missiles.

kyiv considers these military equipment crucial to defend its skies, one of the main weaknesses of the attacked country against the powerful Kremlin Army.

“Ukraine and Moldova are not alone”

For Moldova, another former Soviet republic bordering Ukraine to the north and east, hosting the summit represented a security challenge.

The small country of 2.5 million people and to which the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria belongs, has also seen tensions rise with Moscow amid the Putin-ordered war against neighboring Ukraine.

This Thursday’s summit took place amid the surveillance of NATO planes and given fears of Russian aggression, the country closed its airspace with the exception of the planes of the official delegations that participated in the meeting.

“The presence of these leaders in our country is a clear message that Moldova is not alone and neither is our neighbor Ukraine, which for a year and three months has opposed the barbaric invasion of Russia,” said the president of the host country, Maia Sandu, a pro-Western leader.

Moldova, like Ukraine, insists on its push to join both NATO and the European Union as soon as possible.

With Reuters and AP